


You Can Maybe Touch The Artwork

by watercolorwoman



Series: Chronostasis [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Pining, Social Anxiety, Yusuke is worried about dying to Sojiro because who wouldn't be, bit of a slow burn? but also not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watercolorwoman/pseuds/watercolorwoman
Summary: (Complete)What if Akira was busy the night Futaba wanted to go to Akihabara on August 31?What if Yusuke took his place throughout the entirety of the social link?It was simple, really. Yusuke would help Futaba with her promise list, while she helps Yusuke with his some of his art block.Well, what happens when the team's resident artist develops his feelings early on?
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba
Series: Chronostasis [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828765
Comments: 55
Kudos: 165





	1. Rank 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Starts out by just writing texts to write a one-shot to flesh out their relationship in my Ryuji/Makoto fic  
> Also Me: Escalates it to its own fanfiction to add into the series
> 
> I really love this ship, I’ve been shipping them since my first playthrough so they’re near and dear to my heart. There’s a ton of fics for them, but not a lot where the focus is Yutaba, and that needs to change. I’m sure this has been done before (I know there was one for Ryukoto where Ryuji takes Akira’s place in Makoto’s social link, which is a good read if you like that ship) but this is my interpretation :)
> 
> Also some notes:   
> -It says this is Part 2 of my Chronostasis series, but you don’t really need to read part 1 if you’re coming across this without ever seeing that story. There may be some parts that seem a little out of place that are explained a little more in part 1. 
> 
> -But if you ARE reading the other fic, Of Deals and Traumatic Conversations, and you like Yutaba, use this to cleanse your soul because my goal is to keep this as wholesome as possible (I promised myself I’d use minimal angst here).
> 
> -I want to say there will be a schedule for this fic (especially because I have it all written out already and could), but because it’s shorter than my other fic, I don’t want to have some spoilers for that story here. I'll keep it weekly for now (probably Tuesdays unless something changes)
> 
> -perspective will change after this chapter since after this, I realized there wasn't a lot of fics from Yusuke's perspective so I took the challenge of writing that.

**29 August**  
Yusuke: Futaba, where did you take my lobsters?  
Futaba: Well HELLO to you too, Inari  
Futaba: and I have NO idea what you’re talking about 〈(゜。゜)  
Yusuke: When I left them on the beach, you were the last one there.  
Futaba: Hmmmmm (´꒳`)  
Yusuke: So you did take them. May I please have them back, I used the last of my weekly stipend on them.  
Futaba: Hate to break it ya, but I really don't have them.  
Yusuke: Who else would have them?  
Futaba: Wait, Inari. Didn’t you buy LIVE LOBSTERS??  
Yusuke: Yes, why is that relevant?  
Futaba: HOO BOY. They went back home I bet, back in the ocean.  
Yusuke: Nonsense, why would they go back? I told them to stay.  
Futaba: （○□○）please tell me you’re not serious.  
Yusuke: Yes, they should have listened to me.  
Futaba: ...Alright I’m gonna go now.

Futaba closes out her messaging app, turning the screen off on her phone to go back to her computer. She had just come back from her beach trip with the Phantom Thieves, something she was somewhat dreading. She was still getting used to going out, being social with people over a long period of time. Even more so, the idea that people actually wanted to talk to her more after hanging out the same day. She’d assume maybe it’d come easier in time? Like she might actually want to text people just for the sake of texting?

Eh, she didn’t care right now. She had bigger things to care about than what happened to Yusuke’s lobsters, like finishing a raid.

\--

 **31 August**  
Futaba: INARI!  
Yusuke: Hello to you as well…  
Futaba: Have you seen Akira?? I think he turned off his phone, I can’t track him.  
Yusuke: I don’t know why you would expect me to know that.  
Futaba: I dunno, aren’t you BFF’s with him like everyone else??  
Yusuke: We are friends but I don’t track his every move. Why do you need him?  
Futaba: (҂⌣̀_⌣́) Look, there’s somewhere I wanna go but I’m scared to go alone. There’s this huge store in Akihabara I wanna check out. Do you think you can help?  
Yusuke: Of course, I would be happy to help.  
Futaba: Wow really? You’re a nice guy. Let’s meet at Shibuya, and we can take the train from there. Meet me at the station square!  
Yusuke: I’ll see you soon. 

Yusuke puts his phone back into his pocket, and leaves his dorm room to head to the train station. Why Futaba texted him of all people he doesn’t understand. She doesn’t seem to like him all that much, especially with the ordeal with her action figures a few days ago. Their only conversation outside the Phantom Thieves was a few days ago, when it came to his question regarding his poor lobsters. Nonetheless, he was always willing to help out his friends, despite their… unusual natures at times. When he arrives at Shibuya station, he doesn’t see her at first. 

Yusuke: Where are you?  
Futaba: Oh, I went straight to Akihabara. Meet me there!

He sighs, already walking to the line towards Akihabara. He wasn’t sure why she told him that if she was just going to leave him anyway. Either way, there was not much that could be done of it now besides going to the store she mentioned. He wasn’t fond of the area, but even he knew what store she was talking about. There was only one store that could be considered ‘huge’ by anyone’s standards. His one visit there previously to get inspiration had gone rather poorly, especially with the crowds constantly bumping into him and the loud squeals of excited fans. It would have been nice, had he not been stuck in the middle of it. 

Still, he thinks as he steps off the train of why she would want to go there, for the same reasons why he doesn’t want to go. Was it because of the fans constantly squeezing themselves inside the building? Or the comradery of being surrounded by your fellow kind? It became clear when he entered through the sliding doors, seeing the many screens and gadgets all around. It wasn’t quite what he remembered, but it was close enough. He definitely recalled the anxious crowds moving through the small aisles. That’s when it occurs to him. 

She’s still afraid of people, and she’s wandering around alone. Akira and Sojiro would certainly end his life if anything happened to her. 

“Futaba?” Yusuke calls out, his pace picking up as he moves through the bodies. He’s careful to not touch anyone, not knowing what would happen if he startled anyone else. He finds himself nearing the back of the store, and not seeing her anywhere. 

“Are you all by yourself? Where did you come from?” He hears come from the right. Turning his head, he sees a police officer with his arms crossed in front of him. He looks confused at a short girl in front of him. All Yusuke needs to know is in front of him when the girl has long orange hair. He picks up the pace, going up to hear and hearing of snippets of conversation. Mainly Futaba stammering through a few words and the office trying to persuade her to go to the station for further questioning. Based on her trembling legs, he knew she didn’t have long before she’d just stop talking. 

“My apologies for the confusion, officer.” Yusuke says, moving to stand next to Futaba. 

“Yusuke!” Futaba exclaims, rushing behind him. He feels her hand on his back, and out of the corner of her eye sees her face peeking out around him. 

“Who are you? Do you know this girl?” He questions. 

“She’s my friend. She’s nervous in crowds.” Yusuke admits, looking directly at the officer. He glances at Futaba, who doesn’t move from her spot. He nods at both of them before walking away. Yusuke turns to face her, and she seems much calmer now that she was no longer being questioned. 

“S-sorry… I thought I conquered my fears at the beach. There wasn’t anyone I knew with me, so I panicked. I got all scared, curled up into a ball. And then the police came and I thought it was game over.” Futaba explains. 

“Why did you wander in alone in the first place if you seemed unsure?” He asks honestly. It didn’t make any sense, even if she did think she had overcome her fears. 

“Shut it, Inari!” She scolds, before sighing and relaxing. “I couldn’t even go buy a game by myself, I’m a failure. But it seems like I’m okay as long as you're here. Are you some kind of key item?” 

“A what?” He questions. A key… item? Was that a gaming term lost on him?

“A key item! You know, something that the hero always takes with them to help? Like that star Akira showed me, the one from Mementos. That’s a key item… And now, you’re mine.” She laughs at the end. Yusuke was starting to relax, knowing she was okay again, and that he was spared of any potential bans from LeBlanc for now. 

“I suppose so, if that is what you’d like to call me it’s much better than Inari.” 

“Oh, no.” She grins. “You’re still Inari. But if you become my key item, I can help you with some of your art stuff. Nothing crazy though! I’m not p-posing like you wanted Ann too.” She blushes slightly. He cringes at the thought of it, especially since Futaba couldn’t be a muse the same way Ann was. Even if he did eventually get the painting the way he wanted it, with her fully clothed much to both of their delights. 

“I’m not sure at the moment how you could help, but I suppose I won’t turn down your offer.” Had he struck a deal with her? It was unclear. 

\--  
**4 September**

Yusuke: Did you take my sketchbook?  
Futaba: Gee, HI FUTABA HOW ARE YOU?  
Futaba: HI INARI! Thanks for asking I’m amazingggg ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ  
Yusuke: Not funny. That sketchbook is important, I have some sketches in there I’m working on I need for class. So if you have my book, I'd like to have it back immediately.  
Futaba: I dunno, there’s A LOT in here. I wanna look through it.  
Yusuke: I’m walking back to LeBlanc now.  
Futaba: Oooo~ you sketched Ann at the beach. Are you gonna give to Akira?  
Yusuke: She’s always been an incredible model, I was going to finish it and show it to her before turning it in for one of my courses. But why would I give it to Akira?  
Futaba: Cool cool (*≧▽≦)  
Futaba: Also dude, they're dating! You were there!  
Futaba: WAIT WHEN DID YOU SKETCH ME WHAT IS THIS?  
Futaba: Inari?????  
Futaba: If you don’t answer in the next five minutes I’m gonna rip it out.  
Yusuke: You were a surprisingly good model as well. When you were resting under the umbrella, the way the sun and shadows hit you worked well. It was a phenomenal setup, I couldn’t have done a better job and have it come out that natural.  
Futaba: Uh… okay…  
Futaba: Just come and get your sketchbook

Futaba felt her face turn red in her corner booth at LeBlanc. She had originally looked through it so she could find something to bother him with, but didn't expect to see a scarily accurate drawing of herself. She was embarrassed, awkward about having herself in a bikini on paper. Sure, she knew there were photos of the event, but this was different! 

He had to spend at least an hour looking at her to get all the fine details in the sketch. She was smiling, relaxing under a blanket as she fiddled with her phone. She wasn't sure exactly when it was, but figured it was closer to the end of the day. 

But still! Futaba didn't want herself like this. She resists the urge to rip the page out, knowing that was a whole other battle she didn't really feel like fighting. She does the 'mature' thing, aka, giving the book to Akira to give to Yusuke when he gets here. And fleeing, of course. There were some side missions that we're way over level for her, and thankfully for her, Akira seemed to get that. On top of that, she did say she was going to help him with his art, meaning that maybe she’d have to accept that he’d randomly draw her. 

Based on the few drawings she’d seen in Akira’s room, this would become a common trend. It was only a matter of time before she was given her own drawings.


	2. Rank 2

**6 September**

Futaba: Psssst.   
Yusuke: What?   
Futaba: I said, PSSSSST.   
Yusuke: I don’t understand  
Futaba: ＼(;´□｀)/  
Yusuke: Is something the matter?   
Futaba: YES! I need you to meet me at LeBlanc, pronto  
Yusuke: Why?   
Futaba: Ugh stop asking questions, just get over here!   
Yusuke: Fine, I’ll be there shortly. 

Yusuke took the next train to Yongen-Jaya, unsure of what could possibly be so pressing that she needed to see him in person. When he arrives at LeBlanc, Sojiro and Akira are working behind the counter. The place is more crowded than he expects, especially since the two don’t immediately greet him. In a corner booth, Futaba sits tapping away on her laptop. When she sees him, she closes the device and smiles. 

“Took you long enough!” Futaba exclaims. Yusuke slides into the seat across from her, and she pulls a piece of paper and pen out of her pocket. She unfolds it, passing it over to him. It’s a bullet list, with small doodles in the corners of the page. The doodles are poorly done, and it distracts him from the content of the paper. 

“Your drawing is atrocious. I recall you mentioning you’d help with my art, but if this is your style I’d prefer to help you instead.” Yusuke says, not looking up from the paper. She takes the paper out of his hands in a huff.

“That’s not the point! It’s what I wrote down. I made a promise list, Akira helped me put it together earlier. And as my key item, I demand you help me with it!” 

“I don’t recall this being part of the deal.” He mumbles. 

“Uh, yeah it is. Read, I’ll explain it when you’re done,” She puts the paper back on the table, the words facing him. She keeps it closer to her this time. Yusuke sighs, but compiles. He leans forward to read the bullets on the paper. Her handwriting could also use some work… but he figured she was already annoyed at him, best save the comment for another time. He read the following:   
Go somewhere with lots of people (Important!!)  
Go to school (aka see where the normies go)  
Learn about my generation   
Have a normal conversation with a stranger my age. (Akira says Inari doesn’t count)

“I would hope I don’t count as a stranger anymore.” He says, “But I don't understand. This reads like a to-do list.” 

“It’s a promise list! My mom used to have me make them all the time. She’d write goals and stuff I’d have to do before the end of the month, and whenever I finished it, she’d mark it off.” She smiles, looking down at the table. “She always wrote really nice comments too… Those were the best.”

“I see…” Yusuke mumbles. He didn’t understand the purpose of said list, but it was clear it connected her to her mother. From the little he knew about Futaba, both as a palace ruler with distorted desire and the true hermit, she truly loved her mother. He couldn’t help but feel a hint of jealousy. He would have loved the opportunity to make such memories with his mother. Alas, that would never happen. However, this seemed to mean a great deal to her. 

“Basically, this is where you as my key item comes in. I need your help to finish it all. Oh, and I need you to come up with some kind of reward.” 

“A reward?” What would she need a reward for? 

“Yup, my mom would always have something for me. Plus, it gives me a reason to stay motivated. I’ll let you decide what that reward should be, just make it something cool.” Back to her mother again. He should comply, but consider what would make a good reward later on. After all, it seemed like she genuinely trusted him. Why she would do so considering they spent half of their time bickering was lost on him. 

“I suppose I could find a suitable reward. However, I do have one request as part of our earlier terms.” Yusuke pulls his phone out of his pocket, tapping away until he reaches the notes app. It’s filled with random content, different things that came to mind for his art while he was out of the studio. He scrolls down to an older note. It has details on everyone’s personas, with little under Futaba’s. “I’d like you to describe your persona and awakening.” 

“My persona? Why?” Futaba questioned. 

“I’m waiting.” 

“Ugh, fine.” She rolls her eyes, folding the promise list back up. She pursues her lips, tapping away at the table as she thinks out loud. “After talking to Akira it seems like my awakening was weird. I didn’t rip off any mask, but I did get that crazy headache. Necronomicon just talked me through it, and when I got sucked inside, it was just one giant screen all around me.”

“Interesting…” He muttered, jotting down everything she was saying. 

“But the tentacles are just for show obviously, I can’t really do anything with them. All the magic happens inside. If you’ve ever seen a bunch of coding like in the movies, it kinda looks like that but I understand it all.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Okay, Inari. Why am I telling you all this?” She crosses her arms in front of her. When he looks up from his phone, he swears he sees the flash of gold in her eyes. The same yellow color that appeared when she awakened to her persona. 

“Art.” He simply says. “It’s for my art, as we discussed before. Really, Futaba, this is a two way street so we’re both helping each other out. I didn’t pry when you asked for my help with your list.” 

“I just wanna be a normal person who can go out without being scared like I was in Akihabara, okay?” Futaba exclaims, sinking deeper into her seat and throwing her hood up. She uses the top to hide her eyes. “It’s annoying.” 

Right, the Akihabara incident. It wasn’t that long ago, but he had already forgotten about it. When she hid behind him after catching her stuttering to a police officer. Her social anxiety was bad, and even if she put up a brave face around him and their friends, she couldn’t do that with strangers. 

“I apologize if I offended you. That wasn’t my intention. I’ll help you with the list as your ‘key item’ and I’ll explain my artistic process more to you.” 

He watches her slowly go back to her initial stance, the hood falling and her knees coming back up to sit comfortably on the bench. As she does so, Akira places two cups of coffee in front of Yusuke and Futaba.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t say hi earlier, it’s been busy today.” Akira apologizes. Yusuke can see the small beads of sweat right under his glasses, and the stains on his apron likely from a mishandling of a drink at some point in the day. Futaba takes the cup, pouring in a bit of sugar before she starts to drink it. Akira already knows he enjoys his coffee as black as possible, so he takes a sip himself. 

“No worries, I assume Boss is pleased with the business.” Yusuke comments. 

Akira nods. “Yeah, he’s been on my back all day but I can tell he’s happy about it. So did Futaba share the list? She was nervous about it.”

“I told you I was going to!” Futaba defends herself, “Besides, he wouldn’t have a choice anyway.” 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Would you look at the time,” Futaba looks down at her sleeve, where no watch is in place. “I gotta go somewhere that isn’t here. See you later!” She picks up her belongings and shoots out of LeBlanc. Yusuke looks back toward the door, feeling the wind of her moving quickly through the small walkway. He figured she would’ve forced him into her plans one way or another. She always seemed to have a way with words, and mild threatening, of course. 

“Thanks for going with Futaba to Akihabara by the way, I didn’t realize she was texting me until it was too late,” Akira explains. “I was making infiltration tools and that takes up a lot of my time in the evenings.” 

“Of course, she’s my friend as well.” Akira smiles and nods, before Sojiro calls him back over to the counter. Yusuke pulls a small sketchpad out of his bag, starting on a blank page. He finally puts his phone down on the counter, choosing to keep it face down to avoid any further distractions. He really wanted to finish this sketch before his own school trip. There were few things he truly cared about it, making it easy to dedicate his time and devotion to it. 

For one, he cared about his art, and ensuring he could continue it as much as possible. There were certain challenges that came along the way, but he was happy to overcome those challenges. 

Second, he valued his time as a Phantom Thief. He was happy finding justice and making the world better by removing some of the rotten adults in the world. He was also happy to have made new friends among the group, even if they didn't seem to agree with his ideas all the time

And...

No, that was it. Art and his group of vigilantes. 

\--

**7 September**

Futaba: INARI!  
Yusuke: Good morning to you as well…   
Futaba: Why did you leave a new drawing in my mailbox??   
Yusuke: Ah yes, I wanted you to have it before I left for my school trip. Your awakening inspired me, so I’ve been working on your persona on the side. Your description yesterday helped with the finishing touches.  
Futaba: Sojiro thought it was a love letter ⊙△⊙  
Yusuke: Why would he think that?   
Futaba: WELL…You wrote my name all fancy on the outside of the envelope  
Yusuke: Yes, so?  
Futaba: AND IT SMELLED LIKE FLOWERS  
Yusuke: Is that not normal? Madarame often received letters with similar setups.   
Futaba: (・_・ヾ  
Futaba: I know you’re not this dense.   
Yusuke: It’s a nice gesture. I know Madarame appreciated it, and I thought you may as well.   
Futaba: I’m pretty sure those were ~romantic letters~. Like they wanted to have sex with him and stuff.   
Yusuke: oh… well, my intention is purely platonic.   
Futaba: Wait. Why didn't you just give it to me?? Like at LeBlanc or something??  
Yusuke: The thought never passed my mind.   
Futaba: You're hopeless. But like, why?  
Yusuke: We’re friends, and I wanted you to have a drawing of Necronomicon. She is your persona, so I thought you'd appreciate having the image of her near. I have my own sketch of Goemon on my nightstand as well.   
Futaba: Whoaaaa too fast buddy we’re going WAY TOO FAST.   
Yusuke: My apologies, I didn’t realize it… Do you need some space?  
Futaba: Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)  
Futaba: You’re good, I’m joking... this time.  
Yusuke: So we are friends?  
Futaba: Yeah, Inari, we can be best friends if you want since we text literally all the time.   
Yusuke: What's the difference between a friend and a best friend? Is one simply better than the rest?  
Futaba: Uh kinda? It's like you tell them stuff the others won't know, hang out with them, text them stupid stuff.   
Futaba: Like Akira and Ryuji are best friends  
Yusuke: I see. I believe we've been best friends since we've met then.   
Futaba: Uh. Sure dude, whatever helps you sleep at night. 

Futaba felt flustered yet again, annoyed that both times over the span of a week were directly caused by Yusuke of all people. She was lucky that Sojiro had a sense of humor, otherwise things would get awkward anytime he visited. After her conversation cleared up the situation, she locked herself in her room to open the letter in peace. While she (probably) would have been fine with Sojiro seeing it, something gave her the hunch maybe he shouldn't. She'd gotten enough flack about the fancy name and smell. God forbid he put in rose petals too. 

She opens the large envelope, pulling out a sheet of paper. She's surprised by the detail in it, considering it's not much more than her persona with a few background decorations around it. Tracing her fingers lightly over the edges of the Necronomicon, Futaba thinks about the past month of her life. A few short weeks ago, she thought she was going to die in her room. Now, she had friends who seemed to care for her, even with all the trouble she caused them. 

She walks over to her desk, taking a small bit of tape and sticking it to the top of the paper. She sticks it on her wall, near her computer screen. Something told her this wouldn't be the last sketch she got from him, especially after their conversation a week ago. There was plenty of space on her wall for it, and hopefully, it'd be good enough to blend in seamlessly into her room. 

\--

**10 September**

Yusuke: So I’m in Hawaii  
Futaba: WHAT  
Futaba: I was gonna be like ‘you didn’t say hi’ because we always do that but WHAT.??  
Yusuke: The weather was poor in the mainland United States so my class trip is now here.   
Futaba: SO UNFAIR!! Why do all of you get to hang out in Hawaii and I’m stuck here with Morgana??  
Futaba: sdjnwfnwfoien soryskjndsdfk  
Yusuke: Are you alright?  
Futaba: Yeah, Morgana wants me to say sorry so he tried to tap on my phone. Had to kick him out my room but we’re baaack (•̀o•́)ง  
Yusuke: Why do you send those little faces at the end? Do the normal emoticons not work on your device?  
Futaba: They do, but these are more fun. They show waaaaay more emotion than the other ones do.   
Yusuke: How do I locate these faces?  
Futaba: I gotchu, here’s the link.  
Yusuke: I see… so do I download the application or simply copy and paste the faces?  
Futaba: Up to you, I downloaded it because I use them literally allllll the time. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و You should see my messages with Ann, they’re just faces half the time.   
Futaba: Hello??  
Futaba: Inari???  
Yusuke: Sorry, Makoto and Ryuji were trying to see who I was texting. I believe they think I'm in a relationship now.   
Futaba: LOL you should’ve just said it was me.   
Yusuke: I panicked, I didn’t really have time to think.   
Futaba: Next time, you tell them you’re texting your best friend for life Futaba-chan ヾ(≧∇≦*)ゝ  
Yusuke: [ ☉ ڡ ☉ ]  
Futaba: Oh gosh it’s creepy when you do it. You know that means you’re hungry right?  
Yusuke: I am hungry, and for once I have some money so I can spend it on a lavish meal.   
Futaba: Buy an American meal!! Send me pics!! Let live vicariously through you pleaseeee~~  
Yusuke: Fine  
Futaba: You’re the bestttt!  
Yusuke: [img2478.jpg]  
Futaba: Is that shrimp? Or lobster? ARE YOU EATING YOUR LOBSTER FRIENDS?  
Yusuke: I highly doubt these are the same creatures as the ones we saw in Japan.   
Futaba: Okay but like, hear me out. They swim, in the ocean. One island to another, until they reach the promise land, Hawaii. And then they’re eaten by the same Japanese teenager they saw last.   
Yusuke: I believe I’ve had enough Futaba for one day.   
Futaba: Yusuke nooooooo  
Futaba: Fine, but don’t forget my souvenir

Free from Makoto and Ryuji’s prying eyes, he decides to buy her gift. He still had some money left, far more than he normally had at this point in the week. He blames it on there being the lack of art stores and distinctive culture in a tourist area. Nonetheless, he could buy her something more than a simple keychain, as if that had any real value. 

Looking through the tacky store, there's little he truly likes. He eyes a tiki head, but decides to buy it himself tomorrow before leaving. In a small corner of the store, he finds a decent looking mousepad. It's not the most elaborate, and the design pushes him to his moral limits, but he figures she may at the very least appreciate it. 

Yusuke pays for it, leaving immediately after. At the door, a strange thought slips his mind. It's an emotion, a feeling he can't quite pinpoint. He's missing something, something important and life changing. Ah, it comes to him. He should buy the tiki head now. The feeling subsides after he leaves with the elaborate head. 

\--

**15 September**

Yusuke: Has Morgana returned?  
Futaba: No, I’m worried. I miss his stupid face.   
Yusuke: He has to return eventually, no? Is Akira not his source of food?  
Futaba: Pretty sure that little demon could find food anywhere. He did live on the streets before he met up with him.  
Yusuke: I see. Are you okay?  
Futaba: Uh yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?

Yusuke found himself staring a little too hard at his phone. For once, he wasn't doing anything productive. He was laying on his bed in his dorm room, a half finished painting on an easel surrounded by several tubes of paint. He'd just lost inspiration and motivation to finish it, especially with Morgana missing. Admittedly, it was weighing on him, likely not as much as Ryuji based on his outburst, but the odd cat was still his friend. 

That's what led him to texting Futaba, hoping to see some update Akira had not yet shared with the team. He couldn't pinpoint why exactly he asked if she was okay. After all, something was off about her… of course, he knew what it was. 

Yusuke: You have yet to use any of your emoticons in this conversation. It must be a new record for you.   
Futaba: It just bothers me. I literally just joined and there’s already crazy things going down.  
Futaba: Is it my fault? Because I joined?  
Yusuke: Possibly, yes. Morgana may feel threatened because you're a much better navigator than he is.   
Futaba: Are you saying I'm TOO good at my job?  
Yusuke: You're not good all the time. But neither are the rest of us. We all have our flaws and misses. We may find him soon, if I must remain optimistic.   
Futaba: Did you use the last of your brain cells for the week on that inspirational shit, Inari?   
Yusuke: I don't understand. This is simply how I live my life.   
Futaba: How are you not broken??   
Yusuke: I'm not a machine, I cannot break.   
Futaba: Like how do you always have something good to say? You're like permanently chill, even when you're pissed off.   
Yusuke: Patience, Futaba. I have a great amount of patience. 

Ha, patience. Futaba knew he was just too clueless half the time to really understand what was going. Not like he really knew it anyway. At least he was nice enough to check in on her. She was pretty sure the others had talked to Akira, but it made sense if no one else messaged her. After all, Morgana had been by Akira's side from the very beginning. Of course everyone was going to ask Akira. 

But why did Yusuke want to check up on her in the first place? That much, he honestly didn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tuesday!
> 
> And thank you to everyone who commented on the first chapter. It was definitely reassuring to see that this did help cleanse some souls 😊


	3. Rank 3

**20 September**

Futaba: Alrighty Inari! Now that everything is normal again, we gotta work on that list!  
Yusuke: Ah yes, I’m available to do so. Remind me what was on this list?  
Futaba: you forgot already?? (⊙︿⊙✿)  
Yusuke: In my defense the last few days have been quite eventful, with Morgana leaving and rejoining, as well as the situation with both Okumuras.   
Futaba: Yeaaaah but still!   
Yusuke: Although that doesn’t seem to matter at the moment. Send me a photo of the list, I’ll ensure to save the information this time.   
Futaba: [img2583.jpg]  
Yusuke: I must teach you how to doodle properly after this.   
Futaba: Not the point! (;¬_¬)  
Yusuke: It can become ‘the point’   
Futaba: LATER, after you help me with the first thing on this list: Go somewhere with lots of people.   
Yusuke: Where do you plan on going?  
Futaba: Akihabara (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧  
Yusuke: The last visit went poorly the first time around, and you want to return?   
Futaba: It’s Akihabara Wars: Revenge of the Futaba!  
Yusuke: Pop culture references aside… why?  
Futaba: It’s a crowded place, and if I can do it without freaking out with my key item, then I can keep buying cool stuff from there. I’ll wait for you outside this time, I promise.   
Yusuke: Fine, I’ll see you soon. 

Another trip to Akihabara, how lucky. On the bright side, Futaba had waited for him outside of the store instead of running inside. She waves at him, and the two enter the enormous store. It feels more crowded than before, and he sees Futaba already get closer to him. He doesn’t care too much about her being close to him, especially when he sees a section of drawing tablets not too far from the entrance. He finds himself drawn into the tablets, distracted by the different tools available to him. 

“Of course you like the drawing tablets. You ever use one before?” Futaba asks. He hears her, but focuses on the strange pen before him. He picks it up and starts drawing on the tablet. It appears on the screen as he moves the pen to sketch the simple crowd in front of him. It’s not to his usual standards, but he’s intrigued by the use of it. Anytime he needs to clean something up, he’s able to erase it without worrying about smudging or ruin the canvas itself. He desperately wanted one now. Not so much to do art, but the experiment with ideas that could otherwise ruin his expensive equipment. 

“It’s nothing special, but as my first attempt, it’ll do.” He turns the tablet to show Futaba, who squints to try and view some of the finer details he snuck in. 

“Guess if you can draw and paint with real stuff, you can do it on a tablet.” Futaba notes. “You done? I really wanna see if I can find that game.” 

“Ah, yes my apologies - ah!” Yusuke felt a group of bodies come towards him, bumping him away from everything. He tries to spot Futaba’s orange hair in the large crowd, but it’s useless. By the time he’s able to see straight in front of him without seeing the back of someone’s head, Futaba is gone. Before he can consider the idea of Sojiro and Akira tag teaming to bring to his demise, his phone goes off.

“Mayday, mayday!” Futaba yells from the other line. There’s background noise and chatter, making it hard to fully hear her. Yusuke frantically looks around to see where she may have gone, but sees groups of people at different corners of the store. 

“Futaba? Where are you?”

“Computers, I-I think!” The call cuts out. Yusuke starts running back towards the back, remembering seeing some desktop computers during their previous adventure here. Looking over shoulders in the crowd, he tries to find her familiar face. He instead sees a mop of long orange hair, and pulls on the arm he sees attached to it. There’s some pull back, but he’s able to pull her out of the crowd. 

“Thank goodness you’re -” 

“MOOOOOOOOM!” A young child cries. He sees now that the orange hair was actually a wig, and instead there as an unknown child in a costume in front of him. Yusuke feels his cheeks warm, embarrassed by the situation. A woman comes out of the crowd, hits Yusuke’s arm with her purse, and drags her child back in. She grabs his arm, surprised by the sheer force and pushes him away. Behind him, he hears laughter. Turning around, he sees Futaba’s eyes tearing up from laughing too hard, one hand on her knee. 

“Okay that was totally worth getting swept up in that crowd.” Futaba says, finally getting through her own laughter. 

“Were you behind me? Why didn’t you tell me before I stole that child from her mother?” 

“I wanted to see what happened, but...” Her voice becomes more serious. “I-I didn’t think I was gonna see you until the end of time. But then I thought about finding your face, and bam! Here you are!”

Yusuke tried to feel angry at the situation, but he just felt relieved that she was okay after all this. That she was smiling that much even though she was just forced into a crowd. It was a welcome change from the last visit here, which had a much different tone to it. Still, seeing her not cowering in a corner or crying to a police officer was better. He also didn’t have to worry about Akira or Sojiro either. He truly needed to get over that mild fear if he is going to continue to help Futaba with her list…

“Yes, here I am.” He clears his throat. “Did this experience help with your promise list?” 

“Oh yeah!” Futaba pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket. It’s now a little crumpled, with new doodles on the back. They weren’t any better than the first ones, much to his displeasure. She crosses out of the items on the list, and shows it to him:

Go somewhere with lots of people (Important!!)  
Go to school (aka see where the normies go)  
Learn about my generation   
Have a normal conversation with a stranger my age. (Akira says Inari doesn’t count)

“Didn’t you do that the first time I came here with you?” Yusuke points out. She scoffs, folding the paper back up. 

“No that doesn’t count! I didn’t have the list yet! But honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without you here… I was panicking real hard.” 

Yusuke felt concerned over her, “Are you alright?”

“I think being without you is kinda scary, Yusuke.” She says, but quickly catches herself when she realizes the impact of her statement. She unfolds the paper again, scribbling some things and passing it back to Yusuke. Still shocked from her calling him by his name, he slowly glances down at the paper. A fifth bullet was added to the list: 

Be okay without Inari around

“Are you planning to kill me with a statement like this? It sounds mildly like a threat.” He furrows his brows, pulling out his phone to take a photo of the updated list. He was at least trying to keep up with her list, but he was hopeful it wouldn’t change again. 

“Probably not, we’ll see! Just don’t piss me off.” 

“At the moment the only thing I know will surely anger you is touching the figurines in your bedroom.” 

“Don’t even try me, Inari.” Futaba jabs a finger in his chest, before pulling back and gasping. “Oh those little machines outside! I need to see if they restocked for rare collectables, come on we gotta move!” 

Futaba tugs at his sleeve, pulling him out of the giant store and back out into the world. He watched her carefully put in coin after coin, eyeing certain plastic balls inside the machine. Their conversation from earlier still on his mind. What could she have possibly meant earlier? It was all strange and unusual. Then again, that’s exactly what Futaba was. She was extremely eccentric and interesting. As bizarre as spending time with her is, it’s always a surprisingly fun experience for him. Yes, that certainly answers the question, the feelings had to be mutual. They were best friends after all.

\--

**24 September**  
Yusuke: I certainly hope you’re available.   
Futaba: Please tell me you’re not looking for money.   
Yusuke: Not this time, I assure you.   
Futaba: (*ﾟﾛﾟ) whoaaaa  
Yusuke: Instead I request you come with me to a church.   
Futaba: Uh what?   
Yusuke: I tried messaging Akira but he’s busy with other commitments.   
Futaba: Since when are you religious?   
Yusuke: Oh it’s for art, we’re not attending a mass. I’ll send you the address, I’m already here.   
Futaba: What?? What if I said no?   
Yusuke: Then I would have been out a few hundred yen from the train pass.   
Futaba: FINE I’ll be there in like 30 minutes o(^◇^)o

Yusuke feels a similar warmth of embarrassment come onto his face after considering if Futaba had said no, he wasn’t sure who else he would have asked to help with his artwork. Makoto and Ryuji had both expressed this distaste of being models, and Ann had mentioned she was unavailable today as well earlier to him. He could have asked Hifumi Togo potentially, but he was frightened of the shogi master, even if her demeanor was often soft and kind. 

It was quiet in the church as he tried to sketch away. There were a few people here and there, but nothing remarkable, and certainly nothing worth sketching. For a moment, he wonders if Futaba had actually not planned on coming to the church, choosing to spend her time somewhere else. His question is answered when he hears her tall boots hitting the ceramic tiles. 

“Alright Inari!” Futaba says a little loudly. She’s immediately shushed by an older woman sitting a few rows away. It catches both of them off guard, and he watches Futaba crawl back in her shell. Yusuke places a reassuring hand on her arm. 

“It’s alright, we just need to whisper.” He says quietly to her. She pulls herself out, following him as he guides both of them to the front. “Alright, I’m looking to paint the anguish of Christ as he bore the sins of mankind.” 

“What? Am I Jesus?” Futaba questions. 

“Sort of, I ask you replicate his position on the cross. While I may be able to mimic the ideas and concepts created by his believers, it doesn’t bring the same anger and frustration I’m looking for in an art.” 

“Uhh, okay?” Futaba put her bag on the floor. She awkwardly holds her hands up in a T-pose. She stiffles back a giggle, letting a louder one slip through. The same shushing comes from the older woman. Futaba’s eyes widen, and her position becomes stiff. Knowing he can’t do anything if his model is uncomfortable, he approaches her again so she’ll hear his whisper properly. 

“Ignore her, she’s likely cranky and upset over young people existing.” He jokes, knowing it’ll make her feel better. She surprisingly cracks a small smile, and her position softens. While the position was the same as many he had seen in his research, it wasn’t exactly what he wanted. Thinking back to some of the photos he saw online, he puts his sketchbook down on an empty pew in the first row. 

“What are you doing? Are we done or something?” She questions. Yusuke answers by dramatically raising his arms up, his fingers perfectly straight. His left leg is brought up, and his back arches slightly. It’s an overly dramatic pose, but he knows if he can get Futaba to mimic the pose with an anguished face, he would be one step closer to finishing his work. 

“Inari, that's some gymnastic stuff! I can’t do that!” She whispers loudly. 

“Sure you can,” He goes up to her, his hands hovering over her. “May I?” 

“Uh, s-sure.” After she gives her consent, he moves his arms up as he wants them, but it’s the leg that proves difficult. No matter how much he tried, she couldn’t seem to balance properly on either leg. How was he supposed to continue his artistic journey if his model just couldn’t get it quite right? No, he couldn’t blame Futaba for this. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten the leg up like that as well, but he did. After a few minutes, she’s able to wobbly hold her leg up. 

“Ah yes perfect!” He exclaims running back to his sketchbook. Her face of anguish was perfect, it was if she was truly suffering from the position. He’s only able to get a general outline of her body shape and the background before he hears a squeak and hears a fall. Looking up from his sketchbook, he sees Futaba on the floor. Her glasses had somehow fallen off her face and have landed at his feet. He bends down to pick it up, looking at the well worn out frames. He never noticed it before, but there was a small piece of tape holding part of the frame together. It was never obvious because it was hidden by her hair, but now that the pair was in his hand, he could easily see the small section barely held together by cheap tape. 

“Give me that!” Futaba pulls from his hand, putting it back on her face. 

“When did you break your glasses?” He asks. 

She looks away, twirling with the edge of her hair. “Like a year ago. I was too scared to tell Sojiro because I always try to take care of my stuff. Everything I own has like triple protection, so I didn’t even think about my glasses before they broke.” 

“Why don’t you ask him to help you purchase a new pair?” 

“Because then he’ll know I broke it and -.” 

“Good afternoon, I’ve received a few complaints from the others so unfortunately I’m going to have to ask you to leave for now.” A priest comes up to the pair, cutting Futaba off. Yusuke sighed, knowing that while he hadn’t progressed in his attempts for art, at the very least he got to spend time with a friend. While Akira would have flawlessly done the pose requested, there was no way Akira could replicate the same passion in his face that Futaba did. 

Yusuke gestures for them to leave, with Futaba going in front of him. As they walk down the corridor, he spots the woman who shushed them earlier with a smirk on her face. He sees Futaba stick her tongue out at her, which seems to create an unexpected reaction from the woman. She looked utterly shocked, as if Futaba had walked all over her grave and ruined it. The reaction was definitely comical, and if he had been people watching, he would’ve taken the time to sketch her absurd reaction. On their way out, he sees a familiar face enter. 

“Oh, Kitagawa. I was not expecting to see you here.” Hifumi notes, her eyes drifting over to Futaba. Somehow knowing she should be afraid of Hifumi, Futaba moves to hide behind Yusuke. “Who is your friend?” 

“Hello Togo-san. This Futaba Sakura, she’s a friend of mine. She was helping me with an art project.” 

“Is she okay?” Hifumi tilts her head to the side. “Did I do something to upset you?” She tries to ask Futaba directly. Futaba slowly moves from behind Yusuke, but still keeps her distance. It made him happy to see her do so, without having anyone tell her to do it. 

“N-no.” Futaba responds simply. “I uh, so um… how do you know In- Yusuke?” 

“We’re classmates at Kosei High School. Although while Kitagawa is there for art, I play shogi.” 

“R-really?” Futaba stutters, before seemingly getting a rush of courage. She moves in front of Yusuke, a new determined look on her face. “Wait, Kosei… That’s it!” She turns to face Yusuke instead. “You and Togo are going to show me around Kosei High School!” 

“Um…” Yusuke says, unsure what else to say other than a flurry of uh’s and um’s. While he recalled Futaba having ‘go to school’ on her list, he wasn’t sure what good it would do to show her Kosei. The high school was filled with pretentious characters, some of which were rightfully so because of their talent. Neither he nor Togo were well liked, each for their own reasons. If Futaba were to somehow end up at Kosei, would it ruin her own reputation as well if she wer? 

“You want us to show you around Kosei? Why?” Hifumi questions. Futaba turns back around, this time going between the two so she can clearly see both of their faces. Yusuke was still deep in his own thoughts, trying to work around the idea of her coming to Kosei. Perhaps with Togo, she would have better luck, but he was definitely not liked at Kosei, and even less so after the Madarame scandal broke loose. He didn’t care much for the words of his peers, but he also wanted to keep that aspect of his life far away from his other friends. 

“Wow you’re cool actually. I thought you were gonna be all scary and stuff.” Futaba comments, pulling Yusuke out of his thoughts. He sees Hifumi typing on Futaba’s phone, and handing it back. 

“I’m only frightening to others when it comes to playing shogi.” She smiles. What had he missed in his train of thought? He sees Hifumi walk back into the church, with Futaba waving goodbye. 

“See you monday!” Futaba beamed. “Inari did you see that? I made plans and everything - well, we made plans.” 

“I’m sorry I believe I missed the whole conversation.” Yusuke admits. 

“Uh, you’re picking me up Monday after school and we’re going to Kosei. Togo is gonna meet us there and you two will show me around. Keep up!” 

Well, so much for avoiding those at Kosei. He had to keep his own head up, since it was for Futaba’s own good for her to go to a high school. Even more so, she had managed to have a conversation with Togo without him having to intervene. It was remarkable progress, even if she had only just started to properly break out of her shell. It had been… a month, more or less? It was certainly an interesting time for him. That was really the only word he could use to describe their odd friendship and interactions. 

Interesting…


	4. Rank 4

**3 October**  
Futaba: Inariiiii  
Yusuke: I am around the corner if you want to start stepping out.   
Futaba: Inaaaaaaarrrrrriiiii  
Yusuke: What? Did you need something before I arrived?  
Futaba: I  
Futaba: N  
Futaba: A  
Futaba: R  
Futaba: I  
Yusuke: What is wrong with you?

“SNEAK ATTACK!” Yusuke hears from behind. He feels arms wrap around his neck, a small but likely annoying force pushing him forward. Legs nearly wrap around his back but since he manages to maintain his balance, he feels the pressure from suddenly disappear, and hears a squeak from behind. Turning around to see exactly what he expects, he sees Futaba with a devilish grin on her face. He didn’t expect her to jump on him, or cause such a commotion outside. 

“I cannot understand why you would try to jump on me. I’m much taller than you.” He questions, reaching his hand out to help her up. She takes it, bouncier than normal.

“I’m trying to be happy. Going to Kosei makes me nervous, so what better way to boost morale than to annoy you?” There it was, the mild nerves he would have expected from her. He knew she couldn’t have been better over night. Still, he was contemplating all yesterday in the art studio how he would best show her around without causing any commotion. Nothing really came to mind other than to have Hifumi stare everyone down if anyone looked at them funny, but that would only work if she was willing to do so (which he expected she may not want to)

“I suppose so. Come, I know Togo-san is waiting for us at the main entrance.” 

On the entire ride there, he kept thinking about how she was reacting today, and how she would react there, and how she would react after. He felt as though he had never thought about anything this intensely if it wasn’t related to art at all. It was confusing, and extremely disorienting. Especially since he had a piece due at the end of the week, and his attempts to create inspiration from a park visit with Akira or a church visit with Futaba lead to no piece. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but focus on the way Futaba nervously pulled on her sleeves over and over again on the train. She was always a little nervous on the train, but not like this. It seemed almost… different?  
No, it was probably nothing. 

It’s not like he had much time to consider the possibility since Hifumi was waiting for them at the main entrance. Yet again, he found his body moving without his mind. Maybe he needed to keep a better track of it…

“Welcome to Kosei High School, Sakura-san. Kitagawa and I will show you a few locations around our campus.” Hifumi greeted them at the door, guiding them through a large gate. Despite being at Kosei High School for almost two years now, Yusuke still found himself getting lost at times. It was a large campus with several buildings scattered throughout. While there was one core building where many classes were held, it was still clear how much money was put into the building. It was much nicer than the two buildings Yusuke had seen for Shujin Academy the few times he had passed by. 

“Whoa this place is a lot bigger than I thought,” Futaba nervously notes, her footsteps slowly coming to a stop. She was fidgeting with her hands, something Yusuke noticed was a very consistent nervous tick of hers when she wasn’t sure what to do. 

“You do realize if you don’t move your legs you won’t be able to proceed, correct?” Yusuke says, looking down at her legs. He was amazed she wasn’t cold considering she was wearing shorts. Perhaps the sweater was enough to keep her warm? Or something to do with her palace being in the middle of the hottest place he’d ever been to in his life, somehow contributing to her higher than average body temperature? 

“I-I know Inari! I just feel like my heart is gonna jump out of my chest.” As Yusuke is about to respond to her, he sees Hifumi staring down a few first year students who seemed to be pointing and talking about them. He’s not sure what it was about, but he knows that might be all the assurance Futaba needed to know she was in good hands. 

“I do believe Togo will assist us if you’re still worried.” Yusuke affirms. 

Futaba laughs, “Yeah, if I got you two with me this place is gonna be as easy as fighting a trash mob.” She runs ahead to the tall building, and points to it. “What’s this big one?”

“It holds most of our classrooms and library. We can start with the library inside since I assume most students have gone home for the day.” Hifumi answers. 

The trio walk into the building, with Yusuke using his student ID to let Futaba inside. He watches Futaba look at the various different accolades essentially lining the walls of the school. If Shujin was known for its sports, Kosei was all about the arts. There were hundreds of artistic awards (including a few of his own) proudly displayed in the main halls. While Hifumi wasn’t much for the arts itself, the school’s shogi team was extremely competitive and well known across Japan, and awards for the team’s success were also scattered throughout.   
At the end of the hall, they enter a library. It’s a two floor library, with rows and rows of books lining along the walls and center of the enormous room. There are tables with a handful of students throughout the library itself, with a large staircase in the middle that split up at the top to the second floor. 

“This is our library. While it has thousands of academic books within, there’s a wonderful section of fiction books tucked away in a corner on the second floor.” Hifumi says, walking over to an empty table. Yusuke and Futaba lean against the edge of the table, with Hifumi pointing out a few more things about the library itself. 

“When I was a kid at regular school, I would be able to memorize all the titles of the books on a shelf with one glance. When I recited them all, I just got bullied for it… people called me a freak. Am I weird, Inari?” Futaba turns the question onto him. 

“Yes.” He answered honestly. “But I don’t believe those students were any better if they bullied you for a talent like that. I’d assume they’re off doing nothing of significance with their lives.” While it was cruel enough for Hifumi to gasp at his comment, it seemed to make Futaba feel better. 

“Yeah that’s true. They’re not doing all the cool stuff we’re doing now!” Futaba points out, elbowing him in the side. “Okay what’s next?” 

“Uh…” Hifumi seems to lose her train of thought for a moment before continuing on. “Let me show you the art building, it should be the least populated building since most of the art students tend to go towards the end of the week.” 

Walking again through the campus to what is essentially his home, he feels nervous. Why, he wasn’t sure. Was it because Futaba was going to see and likely tease him over his greatest loves? There was only so much patience he could have with her, especially when it came to art. 

“I know little about this building. Kitagawa, care to explain to Sakura-san about your domain?” Hifumi says. He feels his throat close up, and he clears his throat to open it back up. He guides them over to his studio, pointing out a few things here and there about the building and program. They pass by several familiar faces along the way. Many seem to strangely look behind him at Futaba, which he tries to ignore knowing it would help none of them to encourage their behavior. It’s only when he gets to his studio that he realizes they were all staring because Futaba was clinging to the back of his shirt. When she sees his face, she jumps back startled and covers her cheeks with her hands. 

“Ah sorry! I got nervous with all those people watching me!” Futaba stammers out. Yusuke pulls his keys out and opens the studio. He shared the space with three other students, who thankfully were not in the studio. In Yusuke’s corner, there was a row of painted canvases from different projects he had over the past few months. Lines of paint were neatly organized in a tall bookcase, with a few sketchbooks piled on the top shelf. A large blank canvas sat untouched on an easel. 

“This is my studio. I spend countless hours here working on my next masterpiece. As far as I’m concerned all the rooms are similar setups as well, some larger or smaller than others depending on their year level. First years are in larger rooms, but must share in groups of eight, than four for second years and two for third years.” Yusuke explains, not taking his eyes off of Futaba to see her reaction. She seemed to be elsewhere. 

“Kids always made fun of me in art because I kept wanting to draw manga characters. They kept saying it was little kid stuff.” She sadly says. 

“Those kids sound horrible. If you’re passionate about something, then who are you to listen to critics? If you want to draw manga characters, then do it. Don’t put yourself down over what stupid children say about your passions.” He says a little more loudly than expected. He couldn’t help himself. He was frustrated with how she seemed to associate school so negatively, even if he could greatly sympathize with her. 

“Oh shit, did Kitagawa get a girlfriend!”

“She's a cutie! Can I have her when you’re done?”

Two second years poke their head into the room, startling Hifumi to move to the side. Yusuke recognized the students as unfortunately his neighbors. While he didn’t mind the students he shared the studio with, the ones next door were the absolute worst. As Hifumi opens her mouth to say something, Yusuke interjects. 

“Futaba is my friend,” Yusuke gets close to the second years, using his height to tower over them, “And I’m only going to ask you once to leave us alone.” 

“Tch, she aint that cute anyway….” One of the second year students mumbles before the two sulk back into their room. Yusuke immediately goes back to Futaba, putting his hands on her shoulders. She gasped softly, caught off guard by the sudden touch. 

“Are you alright, Futaba?” 

“Y-yeah,” She stutters. Yusuke sees her turn bright red, likely from the shock of the experience.. He hoped it was that, or she was sick and unfortunately infecting the space. Was it always so warm in the studio? They had to have turned the heater on recently with the temperatures dropping. Hifumi clears her throat, and he pulls away to look at her. 

“I’m sorry about the negative experience, Sakura.” Hifumi apologizes. 

“No it’s on me,” Futaba sighs. “I’m the one bringing up all the bad stuff that happened the last time I was in a real school. But I guess that’s the first step to getting over it right?” 

Hifumi smiles. “Yes, that’s for certain. I hope perhaps you can return to an in-person school next year. Perhaps Kitagawa and I will see you in the halls of Kosei. You could see all the other buildings, including some of the ones under construction.” 

“That’s right,” Yusuke snaps his fingers, “Our computer lab is under construction, they’re updating everything and adding in the latest technology.” 

“And I can’t go in? Ugh!” Futaba complains, slumping slightly before perking back up. “But we’ll see. Thanks for coming with us Togo, even though I remembered all this sad stuff, it was kinda fun.” 

“Of course,” Hifumi looks at her watch on her wrist. “Unfortunately I have a prior engagement coming up soon, so I’ll head out. But if you’d like, we can talk again in the future. You can also call me Hifumi, no need for the formalities. That goes for both of you.” Hifumi waves off, her footsteps growing more distant. 

“I did it though, that’s another thing off my promise list!” Futaba pumps her fist in the air, jumping slightly. She smiles brightly, as though she had just completed a difficult task… which she did, of course. Yusuke wasn’t sure why that analogy had entered his mind, but perhaps it was because going to school was so normal, it didn’t seem difficult for him. But for Futaba, who was used to bullies and hadn’t gone to a real school in years, this was as she called ‘a tough boss’. 

“We’re halfway there then. Now you have to learn about our generation and have a normal conversation with a stranger.” Yusuke recalls. 

She grins at him. “Wow, Inari. You actually remembered this time instead of checking your phone. Did you level up or something?” 

“I do have a memory you know,” He crosses his arms defensively. She pokes at his arms, giggling until he finally brings them back to his side. “Are you content with this visit to Kosei?” 

“Yup! Your studio is cool by the way, although next time I come here there better be something on that canvas.” 

Next...time? 

\--

 **6 October**  
Yusuke was sketching in his book on his desk, late into the night. He didn’t really have anything in mind, and honestly the sketch wasn’t more than just lines neatly organized into a nice scenery. It was terrible and nothing would come out of this sketch, but it kept his racing mind at ease. His heart was beating loud in his chest, and he still couldn’t wrap his head around exactly why his body was reacting this way to… well, nothing. 

Suddenly, his phone vibrates.

Hifumi: Hello Yusuke, do you have a moment?  
Yusuke: Hello Hifumi, of course.   
Hifumi: This may be out of line for me so please stop me if it is, but something bothered me from our time with Futaba, especially with the way you two were acting.  
Yusuke: I don’t believe I understand what you’re implying.  
Hifumi: Well, allow me to be upfront: are you two dating?

Yusuke's mouth gapes open, his pencil dropping onto the carpet floor. 

Yusuke: You must be mistaken, she is my friend.  
Hifumi: Really? You two are awfully friendly then, or she may have some feelings for you.  
Yusuke: Excuse me? Futaba strongly dislikes me. I believe she only deals with me because of our mutual friends.   
Hifumi: I don’t think so. She held onto you the entire time we were walking through the art building, and she purposely went to stand next to you in the library. I couldn’t catch her face sometimes, but she always seemed at ease with you.   
Yusuke: She gets nervous in public, and I believe I help her anxiety in crowded spaces.   
Hifumi: And you expect me to believe she strongly dislikes you? To continue being honest, I thought you had feelings for her as well. 

Yusuke wasn’t sure what to text next. What was there to say? He knew that Futaba didn’t feel that way about him. And he definitely didn’t feel that way about her. 

Yusuke: What in the world would make you say that?  
Hifumi: You clearly were looking to make sure she was as comfortable as possible. I thought you were only being friendly until you rushed to help her after those second years peeked into the room.   
Yusuke: I was only ensuring she wouldn’t cry.   
Hifumi: Well, I guess I was mistaken. I’m sorry for the confusion, have a good night.   
Yusuke: Same to you. 

He picks up his pencil from the floor, only to put it back on the table and closes his sketchbook. How would he ever be able to focus after a conversation like that? He didn’t have feelings for Futaba, she was strange and often too eccentric even for him sometimes. Although, it seemed like he was one of the few who seemed to actively search for it since it reminded him of himself… No, he didn’t like her. 

He just didn’t. He had his art, and his friends, and… that’s it. He wouldn’t allow this to eat at him, especially since he still had this other nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He would ask one of his friends for advice, and while he could sort his own feelings… what if she did have feelings for him? How could he even understand it?

\--

 **8 October**  
Yusuke: I need your assistance.  
Futaba: If you’re gonna have me pose all weird in a church again I think I’ll pass.   
Yusuke: What a shame. That piece would have been spectacular if that woman had not reported us.   
Futaba: She seemed real happy about me sticking her tongue out at her ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ  
Yusuke: As humorous as that was, Hifumi kindly reminded us that neither of us are welcome during non-mass times.   
Futaba: (・_・ヾ am I supposed to be mad?  
Yusuke: I’m not devastated over it. Either way, that was not what I was hoping to speak to you about.  
Futaba: Alright lay it on me, Inari.  
Yusuke: I want you to accompany me to Madarame’s shack. 

There’s no answer to his text message, but he does receive a phone call from her shortly after. When he brings it up to his ear, he hears Futaba shouting. 

“What do you mean you’re back to that crazy guy's house? Didn’t he totally take advantage of you?” Futaba yelled over the line. He pulls it back slightly so his ear doesn’t lose any hearing. 

“Please allow me to explain, I’m not returning to him. It’s the opposite in fact since he no longer lives there.”

“Then why go back there at all?” 

“Madarame’s shack was where my passion for art originated from. If I can return, I may be able to rekindle it. Last time I tried to go with Akira, the door was jammed. He fixed it this morning but said he wasn’t able to join me this afternoon. He recommended I ask you.”

“W-what? Uh… Sure, I’ll help you then. Can we meet at Shibuya? I’m already here.” 

“Strange, I’m here as well.” 

“A HA!” Futaba yells, causing Yusuke to look up. He sees her pointing directly at him. They both hang up, meeting each other halfway. She smiles at him in a way he doesn’t remember before. Maybe it was because of what Ryuji had mentioned to him, when looking for advice yesterday. Granted, many of his suggestions didn’t really fit in with his idea of Futaba, but it was fine. Either way, she was here, and they could simply go to Madarame’s shack in peace.   
Yusuke felt nervous going back to Madarame’s shack. As Akira had mentioned, the door was left unjammed, and they could enter with no real issue. As he entered, he realized how large it was without any furniture pieces. Walls that were previously lined with his former teacher’s achievements were barren, and any evidence of a life here was gone. He goes into one of the larger rooms, where he spent the bulk of his time. 

“Being here is bringing back memories. Whenever I acted out of line, I was made to sit calmly in that corner,” Yusuke says to Futaba, pointing to a corner in the room. His mind drifts to the other side of the room, “There used to be bookcases there. Mostly art, but I hid some manga in there as well….” 

There was a fondness in his voice Yusuke wasn’t expecting to have. As though he truly missed his time there. To an extent, he did. He missed the good times he had, especially when Madarame had more pupils in the house. Eating around a small table in the center of the room, he definitely had some good times growing up around so much artistic talent.

“You’re talking like you miss it.” Futaba notes, seeming to grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

“In my head unfortunately I still treat him like my mentor… how long will I allow him to control my life?”

“Are you okay?” Was he? 

“Y-yes. My apologies… The truth of the matter is,” He walks up to the center where the table used to be, stretching his arms out as if he’s trying to grab both sides of the wall at the same time, “I used to paint in this room simply for the joy of painting. Back then, I couldn’t see the world beyond the superficial. All the crime and evil that can truly lie within people’s hearts. I wanted to fight back against it, but instead I became it.” 

“What? You’re not evil. You literally wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Futaba reminds him, bringing her arms to her chest. 

“Not now, but you didn’t see me before I gained my persona. I was cold and distant. I threatened our friends because I couldn’t see past the false world and walls I created to protect myself from Madarame’s abuse.” 

“But you did!” Futaba comes right to him, inches away from his body. She looks directly up at him, a determined look on her face. “Don’t put yourself down because of what you did before. Fix it instead! Like how you came here to find your passion for art again, keep doing stuff like that!” 

“Futaba…” He gasps. She was right though. What good would it do now to mope over what happened in the past? It was time for him to move on. “You know, Boss told me something interesting the night I stayed at LeBlanc. He said Madarame didn’t take me for my skills alone, especially since I was too young to have any real artistic skills yet.” 

“Sojiro said that? Wow that’s deep for him.” She laughs. “But he’s probably right. Dude probably felt bad for what happened with your mom.” 

“I suppose so… it’s hard to consider the dualities between him as well. While he had the face of a caring man presented to the public, and occasionally even to me, he was a fiend and deceptive man who took advantage of the youth. I suppose these emotions are a bit complex, are they not?” 

Futaba shakes her head. “Nah, you grew up with the guy like he was your dad. ‘Course it's not gonna help to look back at it, but I get why you do it. As weird as you are Inari, you can be real mature sometimes. Probably why I trusted you with my promise list!” 

The odd compliment. The mention of her trust in him. The bright but funny look in her eyes. The way the late afternoon light seemed to fall perfectly on her face. It felt like a snapshot he wanted to sketch desperately. Did she…? 

Wait, did he...

“Hello? Is someone here?” 

Any ideas flee his mind as he moves towards the door, Futaba frantically jumping behind him and grabbing onto the lower part of his shirt. He only knew it this time because he saw her move, but he couldn’t feel the actual grip itself. A man knocks on the edge of the door, peeking into the room they were both in. It was the man from the art gallery, where his painting was criticized. 

“Oh, it’s you! You’re the man from the exhibition. My apologies for the disturbance.” Yusuke cautions, unsure why he was here of all places. 

“Yes, thank you for our conversation that day. More importantly, why are you here? Is it your slump?” 

Yusuke winces at the mention of it, “How did you…”

He laughs, “I know a great deal about you. Your style has already caused some discussion among the art community, however, we all noticed the change at the recent exhibit. Are you trying new styles out?” 

“I…” Speechless again. 

“If you’d like, I can advise you. I understand most of your artwork was created here so the sudden change and lack of mentor must have caused a great deal of stress for you. Please, take my card.” The man searches through his wallet, pulling out a small white card. Yusuke takes the card, looking down at it. His name was Akiko Kawanabe, director of the Japanese art support foundation. Clearly Kawanabe had made a name for himself to have such a prestigious position, and Yusuke was aware of the influence this man must have had in the community. 

“But why?” 

“I’ve made a living investing in bright talent such as yourself. I believe you’re quite talented. Do give me a call if you’re interested in talking more seriously about your future.” As quickly as the man enters, he leaves. Yusuke breathes out, still tightly holding onto the card. He sees Futaba creep back over, and looks at the card he holds in his hand. 

“Whoa this guy seems official. Are you gonna take him up on the offer?” 

“I don’t know. It may be helpful to have someone like him guide me back to the right direction, but I’m worried about the experience further deteriorating my art. Worst of all, I still am utterly clueless about the heart and haven’t any new perspective on how to regain my passion.” 

“But did you have fun?” 

“W-what?” He stammers. Did he have fun here? Well, truthfully no. But based on the look on her face, it seemed as though she was looking to break through some of the tension in his body. 

“Like did you learn anything here?” She reiterates. 

“When you phrase it that way…” He puts the card in his back pocket, and looks back at Futaba. Perhaps he had learned something about himself while he was here, something that wasn’t as complex as art was…. 

Actually, he probably didn’t. But he should pretend for her sake. “Yes, I may have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're a little confused about the Ryuji thing, he asks Ryuji in a chapter in Of Deals and Traumatic Conversations about how to know when a girl likes you.


	5. Rank 5

**15 October**

[new chat started by Futaba Sakura]  
Futaba: Alrighty listen up boys! Both of you have done a lot for me the last couple months soooo I’m treating you out to dinner!  
Akira: Uhhh what?  
Yusuke: Yes please I am don’t believe I’ve eaten since yesterday afternoon  
Akira: I thought Makoto had helped you with a schedule?  
Yusuke: I can’t find it. Although realistically I don’t believe I would have followed it.   
Futaba: NOT THE POINT （；¬＿¬)  
Akira: Right. So dinner, when?  
Futaba: Right now, you better get your asses to the diner because I got a table for us.   
Yusuke: On my way.   
Akira: You’re so lucky I’m free and not super far right now. 

Thankfully for Yusuke, he wasn’t too far from the diner itself either. He was excited to see Futaba, and even more so, the free food that would come along with her. Sure he had a somewhat steady diet… whenever he remembered to eat. But it was always nice whenever someone else covered the bills. Futaba waves at him to the table, where he slides in across from her. They wait a few minutes before Akira arrives, sliding in next to Futaba. He feels a certain anger when he does so, but he pushes that unusual emotion away. There were three cups of water, which Akira starts on.

“I already ordered for us. Nothing too crazy, just literally all the appetizers on the menu.” Futaba beams, but Akira chokes on his water. He grabs the napkin to clean his mouth, coughing up whatever nearly hit his lungs. Yusuke, on the other hand, was very excited. For one, she had managed to get there alone, order a table for them, and talk to the waitress without anyone else helping her. Then again, it was dead at this time so there was no one really to bother her. And second, all the food that was going to come his way….

“That’s incredible. How do you have enough money to afford such luxury?” 

“Uhhh you ever heard of cryptocurrency?” Futaba asks, making Yusuke shake his head. “Hoo boy that’s a conversation for another time.” 

“Kurusu? Oh you’re here with friends.” A random boy in a Shujin uniform appears. He didn’t recognize the boy, but he looked awkward and out of place. 

“Is this your friend?” Futaba asks, pointing to him. 

Akira shrugs. “Friend might be a bit much. This is Yuuki Mishima, he’s in my class at Shujin. Mishima this is Futaba Sakura, basically my sister, and our friend Yusuke Kitagawa.” 

This Mishima had a very generic aura to him. Unlike Hifumi, it was unlikely that any conversation with him could go sour. While Futaba had started to somewhat talk to Hifumi, she had yet to hold any real conversations with her without him there. However, if she could talk to Mishimia, an absolute stranger to both of them, that would check off an item on her list. 

“Well, Mishima is a stranger to both of us. Why don’t you hold a proper conversation with him to check off the third item on your list.” Yusuke offers.

“That’s just what I was thinking. Alrighty, M-Mishima. Sit down next to Inari, let’s c-chat!” The slight nervousness in her voice came through. Yusuke gave her a reassuring smile to ensure she would be fine, although Mishima was left utterly confused. 

“Uh... list?” Mishima questions, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Basically she’s making a list of things she wants to do since she had some recent life changes.” Akira explains. “One of the things on her list is having a conversation with a stranger her age, aka you.” 

“So wait, you a g-girl… want to talk to me? Uh sure! I’ll help out.” Mishima slides in next to Yusuke. He looks down at Akira’s friend, not realizing how short he was until he had to purposely move his head down to look at him properly. Mishima must’ve realized it too, because his face whitened. He seems to jump in his seat before looking back at Futaba. 

“We’re gonna knock two promises with one Mishima today. So tell me all about your generation.” Futaba asks. 

“What? That’s kinda complicated. Maybe I can tell you about my hobbies instead? I like computers, do you?” 

Futaba nods. “Mhm, I’m always online.” The waitress arrives with their food, multiple plates filling up the table. “Ah yay food!” 

Akira and Yusuke eat quietly as they allow Futaba to continue her conversation with Mishima. Yusuke tried to pay attention to both of them equally, but he found his eyes continuing to drift over to Futaba. She seemed at ease in her conversation with him, even if he was a bit odd. Although he did definitely learn more about Futaba during their conversation, such as her passion for computers and what an NPC was. Somehow, her explanation helped explain why he felt the student was so generic. It didn’t seem as though Mishima took it all too well when he left, but it was still beneficial to see Futaba grow yet again before his eyes. It seemed as though he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Earth to Inari? Yoohoo!” Futaba waves her hand in front of his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. Without realizing it, he had definitely eaten his share of the appetizers, and most of the plates were empty at this point. “You’ve been staring a hole into my skull for like ten minutes. Did the aliens finally probe your brain?” 

“Excuse me? Please refrain from waving your hands in my face again.” 

“That’s what you got from that?” Akira laughs. “Not the fact that you’ve been out of it for the last ten minutes or that aliens are taking your brain?” 

“Why would they come for my brain? Are they looking for art advice?” Yusuke seriously questions. Futaba sighs, slumping into her chair before looking at Akira. 

“Yeah they totally took his brain.” Futaba repeats. 

“Is it because of the guy from yesterday?” Akira asks Yusuke. Right, he had forgotten about that. Akira had accompanied him to meet the director, only for both of them to argue over the true meaning of art. Yusuke knew that money was important as it helped provide a roof over his head and a filled stomach whenever he remembered, but there was the issue of the whole art world revolving around it. Money can only drive people so much, and without that passion, what was the point of creating art. 

“Er- yes. I’ll admit that interaction left a poor taste in my mouth.” He lies, knowing well that Akira may have provided him an out. Akira wasn’t the type to ignore small context clues, and he seemed to know more about him and their friends before they did. However, Futaba doesn’t know any better, but she definitely remembers the man. 

“What did he do?” Futaba asks. 

“Long story short, he wanted me to sell a story with my artwork, but that is not what I want out of this life path. If I make and sell art, it’s because of the painting itself, not a story of a poor teenager attached to it. I was encouraged to place my art in a competition they’re having soon. If I can prove my art is worthy there, then I believe I can persuade him otherwise.” 

“Whoa that’s serious!” Futaba exclaims. “He’s totally testing you. I bet he said that to rile you up and make a bomb piece.” 

“I have no intention of painting a bomb though…” Yusuke mumbles under his breath. Futaba rolls her eyes. 

“Not the point, Inari. Just take it one step at a time. I mean you always tell me that when it comes to getting comfortable with people right?” 

“I suppose you’re right. I can’t think too hard on it, especially when we have other pressing matters at hand.” Yusuke says sadly, impling about their new situation after Okumura suffered a mental shutdown on television. It was hard on Haru, as they all saw first hand. They all knew the funeral was today, and at Haru’s request, only Makoto had gone with her. Perhaps this was a bizarre way of Futaba coping with it: by inviting her friends out to dinner. 

“Makoto said Haru seems to be doing okay, thankfully.” Akira says, not seemingly convinced himself. “Although I can’t imagine it’s easy on her, you know, with everything that happened.” 

“Will she be okay for the cultural festival? I know Makoto had all of you help out with that.” Futaba asks. 

Akira shrugs. “It’s on her. She’s got a lot going on and I don’t wanna push her if she isn’t ready. But from the little she’s texted me, it seems like she wants to go back out in the world soon. But would you look at the time I gotta run. Thanks again, Futaba, see you soon Yusuke!” Akira says, quickly leaving the diner. It was odd for him to leave with such short notice, but then again he knew he was having issues with Ann, and if he noticed, that meant it was a problem. 

Yusuke looks at Futaba with a look hoping that she knew more, but she shrugs. “I dunno what’s up with him, don’t look at me like that.” 

“I’m inclined to not believe you, especially with your marvelous hacking skill.” 

She blushes. “Y-you think it’s marvelous?” 

Did he say that out loud? Yes, yes he did. Well, it technically wasn’t wrong. He did really admire her passion for it, and was almost envious since it was the passion he currently searched for in his art. However, it seemed as if she enjoyed the compliment. 

“Well, you are talented. We all see it. B-but that wasn’t the point.” He had to stop stammering through, otherwise he would become a puddle in the cafe and get swept away to some dumpster miles away from Tokyo. “I would be surprised if you didn’t know something about why he’s so nervous. From my understanding, he’s had troubles with Ann.” 

“Ohhhh.” Futaba leans back in her chair, an evil grin now on her face. “Oh I can tell you all about the dirty stuff if that’s what you’re looking for. I knew you were a perv.”

“What?” Yusuke exclaims. “I only meant their conversations, not any nudity. That aside, aren’t you uncomfortable with that? You were the one that reiterated you would never pose nude for me.” 

Futaba rolls her eyes. “Only if it’s me, I don’t wanna get naked! Also before you call me a perv, I didn’t want to look at them getting it on. Akira was just dumb enough to leave his phone in just the right position. I deleted it all after I found it. But uh, if you meant the conversations yeah they’re fucked I give them the end of the month if I’m being totally honest. I don’t know if that’s why he left but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Yusuke’s eyebrows shoot up. It was odd to think of Ann and Akira not together anymore, especially since it seemed as though they both had feelings for each other from the beginning. Granted, he only knew so thanks to Ryuji updating him every so often because Yusuke was utterly clueless otherwise. 

“I certainly hope they’re able to work it out. I can’t imagine what caused them to argue that way.”

“I have an idea from what I’ve heard, but I don’t wanna put his business out there. It seems like it's kinda serious.” A serious issue between them? It shouldn’t surprise him unfortunately, but it does anyway. It was always hard to envision the passion between two people in a relationship considering he had never been in one. Particularly the passion in a relationship where both people want to be together, but seemingly can’t work through their issues. Whether or not that’s what was going on between them he may never know. What he was still interested in was how love worked, and what made people fall in love so easily. 

“I hope he’s alright.” Is all Yusuke can say, feeling his throat close up. No amount of water can help him. Even after Futaba pays for the bill and they walk to Shibuya, it’s still there. He waves goodbye to her, having walked her to the train station. When he brings his hand back down to his side, he realizes that whatever was going on with him was desperately getting in the way of his life, and even worse, his interactions with Futaba. Was there anyone he could trust to ask? 

Ryuji was just as clueless as he was based on their last interaction.  
Ann and Akira were out of the question right now.   
Makoto was busy with the festival at school.   
Morgana was literally a cat. 

Considering Akira mentioned Haru’s need for a distraction, perhaps he could help by having her worry over his issues rather than focus on her own. Yes, that would suffice. 

\--

**26 October**

Yusuke: Hi Haru, Have you left Shujin yet?   
Haru: Hello Yusuke! I have not, why?  
Yusuke: I’d like to speak with you privately if you have a moment.  
Haru: Sure, anywhere specific?   
Yusuke: Somewhere quiet, where others cannot hear our conversation.   
Haru: Sounds ominous. Is everything alright?  
Yusuke: It’s a complicated manner I would prefer to discuss in person.   
Haru: I see. There’s always the rooftop. I’ll let you inside, just wait for me by the entrance and I’ll escort you up there. 

True to her word, she takes him up to the rooftop. There are a handful of desks and chairs scattered throughout, along with a growing garden in the middle. Yusuke walks over to a pair of desks and chairs near each other, pulling the chair out to sit. Haru sits across from him. Has his heartbeat always been so loud in his ears? He should mention that to her as well. 

“Is everything okay, Yusuke? You had me worried based on your text messages.” Haru addresses. 

“I have had an immense mental block as of late appearing as physical symptoms. I feel myself struggling to breath, and I stammer through some of my words. I can’t focus and it’s impacting my art.” 

“That sounds rather serious.” She notes. “Can you explain when this happens?” 

Yusuke sighs. “It seems to only happen when I’m hanging out with Futaba. You don’t believe I could be allergic to her hair dye could I?” He hadn’t even considered the possibility, especially since he never had any issues with pigments of any kind in the past. Haru, on the other hand, seemed to have a totally different look on her face. Expecting some type of concern, it’s instead an expression of joy. 

“My goodness! You like Futaba-chan don’t you?” Haru claims. 

“Well of course I like Futaba. We all do, she’s our friend.” Yusuke shrugs. “Why bring up something so trivial?”

“No Yusuke. It sounds as if you’re romantically interested in her.” Haru smiles again. What? Why… would she say that? It baffled him, there was no way he was into her that way. First Hifumi, and now Haru? It was odd that two people would think so in a short time frame. 

“I don’t understand why you would say so.” He crosses his legs, and places his elbow on the desk to prop his head up. 

“You can’t focus when you’re around here, and you mentioned getting choked up when you’re around her? Do you also feel as though your heart is going to jump out of your chest whenever you think about her?” Yusuke’s eyes widen, and he feels his face get warm. “Is your heart beating really fast right now?” 

“...perhaps it is. But it can’t be for something like that. I don’t view Futaba as anything other than a friend.” 

“Oh really?” Haru laughs. “Please look through your phone. Tell me how many text messages you have among all of us. Who has the most?” 

With his free hand, Yusuke pulls his phone out to check his messages. Ironically, Futaba had messaged him about seeing a movie later. He sends a quick reply before looking at the number of messages he has with everyone. As a newcomer, he had less than a 100 messages with Haru so that wasn’t surprising. With Makoto and Ann, there weren't more than 200 messages, as he didn’t text them very often outside their group. Ryuji and Akira both had well over 400 messages, which made sense. He often talked with Akira about life and his artwork, while most of the conversation he had between him and Ryuji were all about the different foods they wanted to try. 

Meanwhile Futaba… well she texted him almost every time he had some kind of anxiety. They would sometimes text all night about random topics, things that helped her. While the nightly conversations had diminished as she became more courageous, they started texting each other throughout the day. It was routine for him at this point to hide his phone from his teachers as he texted her. Some of those messages were his artworks, particularly updates that she seemed to ask for more frequently since she visited Kosei. Every so often he’d ask for a photo of what she was working on, and while he never understood the code, there was a beauty in seeing all the numbers and letters lined up to create an image. He looks over at the total number, astonished he had never noticed it before. 

“2,000…” Yusuke mumbles, but Haru hears it. She raises an eyebrow and smirks as though she had caught him. He clears his throat. “I don't see how this correlates with your statement.” 

“Why do you text her all the time?” She simply asks. He puts his phone back down on the table before answering. 

“Our conversations are always enlightening. She came off immature when we first met, but she is incredibly intelligent. She always has an opinion on something and I want to hear it so we can talk back and forth about it. We don’t see eye to eye on all our discussions, but we both always respect each other’s opinions.” 

“So you like talking to her. Do you feel the same physical symptoms when texting her?”

“Occasionally.” Yusuke admits. More recently so, which he doesn’t say aloud. 

“Do you think she’s pretty?” 

“W-what? Why would you ask me that?” He stumbles through his sentence. Did he think he was pretty? Why is she asking such off-topic questions? He didn’t expect to get pummeled with questions from her.   
“I think she’s pretty. She has really nice hair right? It looks like she takes good care of it despite its unnatural color.” Haru continues. 

“Um…” He wanted to answer honestly, but he wasn’t sure if he could. “I don’t know how to answer that.” 

“Yusuke, this is a safe space.” Haru leans forward. “I know I’m teasing, but if that’s how you believe you truly feel about her, I can help you figure out your feelings. I know it’s not an easy experience, but I want to help.” 

“Thank you Haru,” He says, shocked from the kindness he got from her. Although there was still something nagging at him. Unfortunately, everything did line up as she stated. He thinks back to their previous encounters, all the signs that may have been there over the past two months. 

Futaba and Yusuke talked often and he looked forward to their interactions. Anytime he even thought about her, it caused his heart to race. He felt what he imagined may have been jealousy when Akira got to sit next to Futaba at the diner. His care for her, and his dedication to completing her promise list. The way he thought about her when they were standing in Madarame’s shack after that particularly intense conversation about his dedication to his former mentor. It was all there, and as always, he was oblivious to it. 

“Yusuke?” Haru says, getting his attention. 

“As tragic as it may be, I do believe I… like Futaba.”


	6. Rank 6

**31 October**  
Futaba: Stay behind after the meeting?

Yusuke looked up at Futaba, a thoughtful look on her face. They had just returned from the metaverse, having started their first formal investigation into Sae’s palace. While they had gone in yesterday, today was their first real push towards securing a route. As a result, they had all come out somewhat tired and distracted by the bright colors inside. Although he definitely did not expect that text from her, especially since he had been expertly avoiding in-person interactions with her since talking to Haru on the rooftop. While he wanted to continue to avoid her as he tried to come to proper terms with it all, he couldn’t leave her like

Yusuke: Of course.   
Futaba: Alright, just come with me. I wanna talk to you in my room. 

Her room, alone? He admittedly hadn’t gone in much since late August, much less alone with her. But she needed this, he had to keep reminding himself. As nervous as the encounter may make him. Yusuke simply nods in her direction, before turning to continue listening to Akira wrap up the meeting. It wasn’t a long post-palace meeting since they hadn’t gone as far as they wanted. If anything, it was more to bring Akechi up to speed with the workings of the metaverse. Although, they all knew it was a ruse after Futaba found information on Akechi planning to betray them. 

“Alright, talk to everyone soon then, meeting adjourned.” Akira finishes, and the sound of shuffling students fills the empty cafe. Yusuke watches Futaba go in front, and he lingers slightly behind to follow her. He tries to sneak around the others, not wanting them to see him going alone with Futaba. Even if they did spend a great deal of time together, it felt weird this time knowing his own feelings, and even worse, that she may not feel the same way. 

Nonetheless, the two quietly walk into the Sakura residence. They go straight to her room, which has somehow stayed clean despite the initial mess that existed when she still had a palace. He moved to the corner of the bed, putting his bag next to his feet. Futaba plops down on her computer chair, rolling over to her desk and grabbing a piece of paper. She places it down next to Yusuke. It looked like a series of lists similar to the one she made in September. Everything was crossed out, and the paper looked worn out.

“This is one of the promise lists I made with my mom. Everything was marked off as done, but that’s kinda… wrong?” She starts, and then points to one of the bullets towards the bottom, Get Along With Kana-chan. “I lied about this one. I used to get bullied a lot in school, you know that already though. I’d get accused of cheating, and one time I got so annoyed I just handed in a blank test. School really sucked.”

“What does this have to do with this Kana-chan on the list?” Yusuke asks. 

“Well, this girl named Kana transferred in. She got bullied a lot too, like me. But one day she said ‘good morning’ to me and I was just happy someone was saying something nice to me. To be honest, I ignored her at first because I thought she was part of the bullies. One day I said it back, even though I was really scared. Turns out she just wanted to be friends. I got so happy I told my mom and she added it to the list. But it - well something happened.” 

“Did you not want to befriend her?” He was intrigued by this Kana-chan, grateful that someone had tried to make Futaba’s day a little brighter. 

“That wasn’t it. One time her diary fell and the pages flew everywhere. I helped her pick up the pages and well… I don’t forget stuff easily. I saw that her parents hit her, made her wear really weird clothes and take photos too. I tried to talk to her about it but she got all defensive, and we got into an argument. We never really talked after that either because she moved away again. I lied to my mom about it so she’d think I was still friends with her. I just want to say sorry to her that I didn’t do more. She had it way worse off than I did.” 

“You were a child though. You couldn’t have done more unfortunately even if you wanted to.” He attempts to persuade her. 

“I-I know. It doesn’t mean I don’t wish I did more back then. But now I can!” She jumps out of her seat, a new resolve on her face. “I think I can face my fears now because of everything we’ve done as Phantom Thieves. I’m gonna do it for real this time and get along with Kana-chan!!” 

“That’s awfully bold of you to say,” Yusuke says surprised. “Do you even know where she is? Also,” He thinks aloud. “Why tell me all this in the first place?” 

She gasps. “Ahh, I didn’t mean to give you all those details. Not even Sojiro knows about it. Oh gosh this is embarrassing!” She plays with the end of her hair, looking down at her feet for a moment before looking up at Yusuke. He kept a vague but surprised look on his own face before she went back to the determined face she had moments ago. “Y-You have to help me with this now, got it? It’s part of the deal now, since I don’t have a list but I’ll still help you with all your art stuff, Inari.” 

He was definitely not in a position to reject her. Not like he wanted to anyway, especially with her list completed there was no real reason for them to continue seeing each other. This was a great opportunity for him to continue seeing her, and well, potentially assessing if everything that Ryuji had mentioned to him prior was viable. 

“Understood, you will continue to have my support.” He smiles. 

“Cool, now I gotta look for Kana-chan’s deets. Not much you can do there, but I’ll let you know when I got some good info.”

“If that’s the case,” Yusuke reaches down for his bag, pulling out a sketchbook. “Do you mind if I stay and draw?” 

She seems flustered at his question. “W-what? You wanna stay here? I’m not gonna be talking a whole lot.” 

He shrugs. “It makes no difference to me. That way if you find anything valuable today, I’m still here for a period of time.” 

“Oh… okay, yeah sure you can stay.” She goes back to her chair, rolling over to her computer. As she starts typing away on her keyboard, he looks at the wall of drawings and sketches she’s gotten from him over the past few months. While he had stopped dropping them in her mailbox with perfume, he gave her a drawing every so often. It was nice to see them all neatly posted up together. Although he noted the lack of non-metaverse drawings. He takes a moment to admire all the nuances in her room before sketching a rather simple but also detailed drawing of her desk. 

When he leaves a few hours later, not long before the last train back home, he simply places the drawing on her desk and smiles. He was content with his creation. What he wouldn’t see was the excitement over said drawing, and how it immediately gets posted on Futaba’s wall as soon as he leaves. It gives him the motivation to create what he hoped to be the painting he needed to prove that art director wrong, along with a subject that would surely help uncloud his own heart. 

\--

 **3 November**  
Haru: Hi Yusuke! Are you at LeBlanc?   
Yusuke: Hello Haru, and yes I am.   
Haru: Great! Although are any other Phantom Thieves around? 

Yusuke looks up from his phone to briefly scan the cafe. Other than Akira and Sojiro working behind the counter and a few strangers scattered in the booths, there was no one he knew around. 

Yusuke: Only Akira is here. I don’t believe the others are coming as there’s no metaverse expedition today.   
Haru: Wonderful, stay put I’ll be there soon.   
Yusuke: May I ask what the occasion is?  
Haru: Oh you’ll see ~  
Yusuke: I do have plans to see Futaba later this afternoon so I truly hope this won’t take all day.  
Haru: It shouldn’t, especially now that you told me you’re going to see her ;D

A strange text, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach what this was about. There was no real way for him to confirm Futaba’s feelings from their last interaction about Kana-chan, even if he didn’t get any real update on it. She did ask to meet later that day which was an incredible surprise. Although he didn’t realize how early it was until he arrived at Yongen-Jaya hours before they were supposed to meet. 

Still, he had time to continue his sketch. He decided to expand on the idea of Futaba’s room, creating a proper plan for how he would bring it to the canvas. While he still had his other piece and surely would improve upon it, adding a second piece to the exhibit would surely show that director his range as an artist. Although anytime he had to sketch would surely now go to Haru, especially since she brought a fairly large bag along with her. 

“Hi Yusuke, I’m so glad I caught you before you went to see her.” She starts to dig through the bag, pulling out multiple DVD’s, books, and mangas. At a glance, they all seemed to have the same theme. It’s enough to catch Akira and Sojiro’s attention, who walks over to look at the pile.

“Did you rob a store to get all this?” Sojiro asks, looking at the pile. 

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Akira asks as well. 

Yusuke’s eyes widen, but Haru covers for him. “Yusuke asked for some recommendations on love in pop culture to help with his artwork, so,” She finally finishes her immense pile, taking up more space than Yusuke could have ever imagined. “I thought I would help by providing some items I had laying around the house.” 

Sojiro doesn’t seem to think much of it, returning back to his curry in the kitchen. Akira, on the other hand, seems more interested in the items and actually approaches them. Was it always so warm in this room? Or was it that he was embarrassed for having someone else know about his crush on Futaba? Or.. maybe that Akira would know and that in itself was a major issue. 

“Still stuck in the slump? I thought Futaba was helping you out with it.” Akira says, leaning on the counter. Yusuke’s eyes darted around, but there were no real customers in need of assistance to persuade Akira to leave them alone. 

“She has been an enormous help for my endeavor, but -” He nervously starts. 

“I offered to help! Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” Haru beams. Always quick on her feet, it must have come from all the business she had to do as of late having taken over the family trade. That seems to convince him since he leaves them alone afterwards. 

Haru quickly goes over the different items she brought. Several films about love, some from Japan but also a few Western releases. The books and manga as well, she explained, weren’t as daunting as they may seem at a glance. Despite his best attempt to take it all in, there were just too many things for him to remember at once. He certainly had his work cut out for him. One by one, she put all the items back in the bag and handed it to him.

“I don’t expect you to read or watch everything, but definitely look at some of them. I do think it’ll help your slump.” She winks at him, implying a deeper meaning to her sentence. Akira walks over to them, back in his normal clothes and waves goodbye before leaving LeBlanc. Haru watches as he leaves the door, and turns her attention back to Yusuke after the door closes. “Yeah this should help you get an idea how to confess your feelings for her.” 

“You do realize Sojiro is still here?” Yusuke whispers. “I don’t want either of them knowing about this.” 

“Why do you think I’m being vague?” She quietly says back, before going back to her normal voice. “Either way, I know you have plans so I won’t take up any more of your time. But please remember I am here to help you!” She happily gets out of her seat, and waves bye to Yusuke and Sojiro before leaving. He looks down inside the bag, already mildly regretting the interaction. He definitely appreciated the help, but the sheer amount of work and time he would need to dedicate was more than he could’ve ever anticipated. He already had sleepless nights in order to finish his artwork, so this was just another night he’d lose sleep. After all, it’d kill two birds with one stone: effectively learn more about the heart but also find ways to access Futaba’s feelings. 

“So, who is she?” Looking up from the bag, directly at Sojiro, Yusuke feels panicked. “Thanks why Okumura is helping you right? Ah I remember that face, you look like you got it bad.” 

“She’s a girl.” He says simply. 

“Okay, and…” Sojiro gestures as if he’s waiting for more. Well, how else would he explain he has feelings for his daughter? He had to come up with a lie. 

“She’s a student at Kosei, a first year.” Yusuke lies, avoiding eye contact with Sojiro. “She’s very kind.” 

“I give you kids a lotta shit but if you ever need anything advice, I’ll be here to help you out. Just ask.” 

“Noted, Boss. Thank you very much.” Under normal circumstances, he would appreciate the support from him. He was kind enough to give him shelter the one night he spent away from the dorms, and gave very insightful life advice the morning after. However, even he knew better than to potentially put his life on the line this way. Although, since he did have this moment, he could address Futaba’s glasses, something even he had forgotten about for a while. “Boss, when was the last time Futaba went to a doctor?” 

Sojiro tsks, and snaps his fingers. “Shoot, I need to make those appointments. She probably needs some new glasses…” He furrows his brows and looks up at Yusuke. “Why are you thinking of Futaba going to the doctor?”

“Inari!” Futaba’s voice rings in his ear unexpectedly. She must’ve come in only a moment ago, saving him the embarrassment of explaining why he cared about her enough to ask about something like that. “I tried calling you like three times, I thought your art finally ate you.” 

“What? My art would never attempt to eat me, that’s outrageous.” Yusuke hits back, making Sojiro laugh. 

“Alright, get outta here you two. You’re going to scare away my customers.” Sojiro shoos them away, and Yusuke quickly closes up the big bag. He throws it around his shoulder, grateful that Haru had decided to use a backpack he could easily carry around. 

“Why do you have such a big bag?” Futaba points out while they’re walking to the train station. 

“Oh, it’s research materials for my artwork I borrowed from Kosei. It’s all about the heart.” 

“Huh, sounds kinda boring to do all that work for this one piece though.” 

Yusuke sighs. “Trust me when I say some of the most valuable influences of my life are in this bag.”


	7. Rank 7

**8 November**  
Futaba: Inari you better get your art butt over here.   
Yusuke: You do realize it’s lunch time on a school day, correct? As much as I’d love to, I'm confined to this chair.   
Futaba: Ughhhh ヽ(●ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ●)ﾉﾟ  
Yusuke: That may be your strangest emoticon to date.  
Futaba: Just come here straight after school, I got an update about Kana-chan.  
Yusuke: That’s incredible, what’s this update?   
Futaba: Well, it ain't pretty. Let me give you a bit of a run down so you know what’s up before you get here.   
Yusuke: A run down…?  
Futaba: Like an update? Keep up, Inari! Anyway, she never continued on to high school and when I looked into why, I found out her parents got some serious debt. They’re using her to pay it off by having her dress in weird clothes and sell photos of it. It’s fucked up.   
Yusuke: That’s horrible, why would anyone put their child through such horrible treatment is beyond my comprehension.   
Futaba: Same dude. Anyway, just come here when you’re done with school I got something I wanna talk to you about.   
Yusuke: You can’t text it?   
Futaba: Come onnnn, unless you think I got something dumb like cooties.   
Yusuke: If I did believe you had ‘cooties’, I wouldn’t have entered your room the first time.   
Futaba: You get the point! （｀Δ´）！  
Futaba: Just haul ass and come here after school. 

So much for any plans he had to sit and continue his artwork. The day flies by as he considers seeing her again, and how nice it would be especially since he had stayed up all night after they saw each other going through many of the items Haru has lended him. So many films left with endless questions, which unfortunately, he couldn't really get answered until he asked Haru. 

One thing that tended to come up over and over was this idea of a look. There was always some look the guy gave the girl, or the other way around, that somehow they understood what they were in love. It was odd, considering he didn't know how the actors created such looks. 

Another idea he recalled during his math class was the constant pining. Why was it that characters were so unable to confront their own feelings and simply tell the other how they feel? Although his own question is answered when he considers the consequences: losing their friendship, awkwardness with the Phantom Thieves, most likely an unofficial ban from LeBlanc, Sojiro and Akira with guns.... 

Similar ideas bounce through his head on his way to her house, but there's no sure fire way to either access her feelings or express his own without consequences. Surely Haru had to have given him all this material to copy something.

"Uh Inari?" Futaba says. Oh, right he knocked on her door. When exactly did he get there? It couldn't have been that long… did she always look this pretty during golden hour?

"Right, you wished for my presence." Yusuke responds. 

Futaba nods, opening the door all the way to let him inside. Going back into her room, he takes the same corner of the bed he took last time. However this time, she was on the other side of the bed. 

Oh, right this was a common occurrence. Serious conversations on beds. Was she going to confess her feelings here for him? He could only hope so based on the nervous look on her face. Perhaps the mention of Kana was a ruse. 

"So I'm pretty sure Kana-chan's parents are in Mementos. I want to ask the team to steal their hearts so she can live a normal life." 

"I feel the same way," Yusuke says impulsively, not realizing the context until it was too late. He had definitely misread the situation, but he applauds himself for having such a generic response that it sounded like he was truly on the same wavelength as her. For once. 

"Wow, really? Huh, I thought you were gonna talk me out of it." 

"Why would I do that?" He questions, focused back on the topic at hand. "Her parents are abusive and it doesn't sound as though she can fight back. I do believe it's in her best interest to help her however we can." 

"C-cool." She stutters. “B-but either way, Kana-chan actually made a request on the Phantom Thieves website. She didn’t put their names, but it was a pretty easy find.” 

“I don't see any reason for the team not to agree. She clearly needs the change of heart, and I’ll be there to support you as well when you bring it up to the others.” Was that too forward? It didn’t feel like it on his part. Oh how she definitely changed his way of thinking to consider how others may feel regarding his words before he blurts them out. 

“Thanks Yusuke. We got this!” She cheers. “Oh, and I know you kinda figured out your art stuff so I can't really help with that, but I, uh…” 

“Futaba?” She seems to freeze up, too overtaken by her own words. She spins around in her chair, bending down to grab something from under her desk. Next thing he knows, Yusuke has something flung to his face. Whatever it is hits him right in the nose, causing him to fall back onto the bed and hit his head against the wall. 

“Oh jeez, are you okay?” He hears Futaba ask. Besides some inevitable bruising on either his face or the back of his head, he was fine. However that wasn’t his concern at the moment. He looks over to the floor, seeing exactly what has hit his face. He reaches down to grab what appears to be a sketchbook with delicate watercolor cherry blossoms across the cover. It looked as though the book was in good condition, despite the initial hit. But did she gift him -

“A sketchbook?” Yusuke asks. Looking up at her, she’s still turned around away from him. She must feel nervous from giving him the gift. Of course she would, she wouldn’t even have real conversations with any of them for a while, much less give any gifts. 

“Itsjustawayofshowingthanksthatsitdontlookintoit.” Futaba’s speech is garbled as she tries to jam pack an entire statement in a single syllable. Yusuke understands maybe half of it? 

“Can you repeat that?” Yusuke says. Futaba groans and spins back around. 

“Thank you. F-f-for helping me.” It’s all she can get out before facing her computer again, the same position he sketched of her not too long ago. The sketchbook was a good sign for him. After all, it seemed as though she did perhaps have some feelings for him? While she didn’t admit there and then, there was hope and things to consider before he truly confessed his own feelings. 

Such as if this was a friendly gesture, which it could very well have been. 

\--

 **14 November**  
Yusuke: Are you still at Kosei?  
Hifumi: Yes, but I’m going home soon.   
Yusuke: Wonderful, come by my art studio. I’d like your insight.   
Hifumi: Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes. 

Yusuke paced the floor, unable to continue focusing on the art at hand. Under normal circumstances, he would ask Futaba for her advice on art. She never held back, and while he wasn’t always fond of her comments, it was certainly helpful to have someone with no filter tell him what was wrong. However, Futaba had previously scolded him for drawing her at the beach while this was much tamer, he wasn’t going to risk it with her yet. He certainly wanted to submit this to the art exhibit, but he needed someone else with no filter (when prompted) to provide feedback. 

“Yusuke?” Hifumi says, stepping into the room. She looks directly at the painting. “Oh it’s lovely, is this what you were messaging me for?” 

The painting was nearly completed. Aside from some details that Yusuke would add over time, it was nearly completed. Anyone who knew Futaba would know it was her bedroom, with her off to the side on her chair. Half of her face is shown, a brilliant smile on her face that he only saw a handful of times but wished he could see more often. There was a green hue to the painting, the same soft lighting she had in her room to work. He never understood it, but it relaxed her. 

“That’s all? It’s lovely?” Yusuke fished for more information, something that would have him fix the painting itself. 

“Yes, I think it’s a phenomenal painting. It seems to capture a great deal of positive emotion despite the darker colors.” Hifumi approaches the painting, looking closely at Futaba. “This is Futaba, no?”

“Yes. I was in her room one day, and I sketched a scene like this. While I gave her the original sketch, I created a new one and decided to submit this to an exhibit coming up soon.” Yusuke says, his own eyes focused on Futaba. If there was anything he felt would never be perfect in his painting, it was her face. There were new things he noticed every time he looked at it, ways to improve and make her appear more like the true Futaba. However, he held himself back most of the time from making adjustments knowing any mistake would ruin the painting. 

“Am I the first to see this?” 

Yusuke nods. “Yes, I have another friend coming soon from Shujin to see soon though, likely right before I submit it. Why do you -” 

“I do believe you lied to me then.” 

“W-what?” Yusuke stammers. Why would she say such a thing? He’d spoken to her a handful of times since Futaba’s initial visit to Kosei, but he hadn’t said anything to her since that could have possibly turned into such a harsh assumption. 

“You are dating Futaba-chan. You haven’t taken your eyes off of her in the painting since I questioned it either, have you?” 

Yusuke opens his mouth, but nothing comes out initially. He had to pick his words carefully; after all, he didn’t necessarily want to imply that he wasn’t interested in her that way, because he was. But if she knew, that was yet another person roped into the delicate workings of his life. It was bad enough Haru had gotten the information out of him. He should text her, actually, since he’d gone through everything she’d given him with no resolve…

“I…” He decided mid-statement what he wanted to do. “May have strong romantic feelings for her, but have yet to tell her.” 

“Ah, I see. I apologize for pushing you before then.” Hifumi bows slightly, but Yusuke shrugs. 

“I don’t believe you’re at fault here. I was in denial of my own feelings until one of my friends pulled me aside at the end of October and walked me through it.” 

“Yusuke, it really is a beautiful painting. When are you showing her?”

“Oh,” Yusuke laughs, “Never most likely. She’d likely scold me for doing this in the first place. No, this will go into the exhibit and straight back into my dorm room.” 

“Hmm… you wanted insight, yes?” Hifumi says. “My insight is you should show her the painting.” 

“That’s one insight from you I won’t be taking. I value this painting,” He gestures to it, “And I’d prefer to avoid any potential criticism directly from her.” 

She puts her hands on her hips. “And yet the potential of negative words from others regarding this painting are acceptable. 

“I don’t care what others say, truly.” He sighs, starting to pack up for the day knowing this conversation was going nowhere in terms of how he could improve it. “I asked you because it’s not completed yet, and I’ll get the insight of my friend soon enough. While I value both of your opinions, it's more in the context of the art itself, not the emotions attached to it. When it’s at the exhibit, I’ll listen to the critics but it won’t change my devotion to the painting, and in a way, my feelings for her.”

“I don’t understand how she doesn’t fit in that same category then.” 

“I’m worried about heartbreak.” Yusuke blurts out, finally. It was bothering him for so long why the negative words could weigh heavily on him. Because the truth of it was if she had only bad things to say about it, then he would know she definitely has no feelings for him, and he’d have to start the steady process of moving on. 

“Oh… I understand. Well, I don’t, I’ve never had my heart broken before but I understand why you would want to avoid the emotion.”

“Do you two still speak? If so don’t say a word to her.” Yusuke pleads, his hands clasped together. Hifumi bites her lip, but let's go and simply nods. 

“We text occasionally. No worries, I won’t say a word.” 

“Thank you,” Yusuke breathed out, holding art supplies he was in the middle of moving before he stopped to say the revelation of heartbreak. “Now, if you have no further comments on the painting, I do need to clean up for the day.” 

“Ah yes, of course.” Hifumi waves. “Have a nice night, Yusuke.” She almost flies out of the art studio, making him wonder if she had some other prior commitment and failed to tell him. He doesn’t think much of it as he finishes putting away his supplies, and covers the painting for the day. When he turns off the light and locks the door, he finally checks his phone when he walks down the hall. Three messages from three individual senders, and several from the Phantom Thieves group chat. Right, there was a meeting today.

Hifumi: I promise I won’t tell Futaba, but do consider showing her the painting.   
…  
Akira: If you’re up for it, we can talk about that painting on Friday. I don’t have any plans.   
…  
Futaba: INARRRIIIII you better get your butt over here! Kana’s mission is TODAY!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Yutaba, they're just dorks in love. 
> 
> Also unfortunately as a heads up, this story won't be updated weekly anymore. I don't want to set a new schedule yet in case I need to change it again ~~(maybe every two weeks but we'll see)~~. But officially I'm at the point where this story is about to get ahead of my Ryukoto story (currently the main story in this series). 
> 
> I'm not abandoning this story! I wanna make that clear because this story will be finished :) Just less frequent updates until the other story catches up.


	8. Rank 8

**17 November**  
Akira: Are you at Shibuya yet?  
Yusuke: I’ll be there shortly, my apologies for the lateness. I was preparing everything for the exhibit.   
Akira: The one where that art director is coming?  
Yusuke: Yes, with two paintings I would hope at least one is able to catch his eye and show I can succeed in the art world.   
Akira: Could you even submit two paintings?  
Yusuke: Surprisingly yes. I did check twice to ensure I could, partially because I was worried they would discard the painting of Futaba’s bedroom.   
Akira: That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about too. Mementos?   
Yusuke: Certainly. 

Certainly? No, there were a million other words Yusuke wanted to say but it was the only one he could send without having his heart explode from all the emotions he’d felt. 

Thankfully, their mementos mission to help Kana had gone extremely well. There were a few hiccups in the fight, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. He was grateful that Futaba could rest easy, knowing that she could easily reach out to Kana now without panicking over her parents and some of the mistakes she’d made in the past. He’d have to ask her about that soon… perhaps after everything was settled with Sae’s palace. At the moment, there were bigger fish to fry, such as Akira questioning the painting. 

“Yusuke!” Akria waves to him. He goes over to him, and two make the walk down the stairs and into Mementos. Back as Fox and Joker, he felt at peace in Mementos. There was a great deal he wanted to talk to him about, aside from the obvious issues with his art. They walked in silence for a minute, before Fox broke the silence. 

“This place never fails to amaze me, no matter how many times we come.” Fox says, admiring the breathing walls and dark aesthetic. He thinks about the art journey he’d gone through since losing Madarame. It was quite an experience, trying out different hats until he finally settled on showing desire in two different ways: one of hope, and one of peace. However, would it live up to the legacy of his mother and Sayuri?

“Yeah, the map constantly changing is a pain, but otherwise I agree.” Joker nods, his boot heels sounding against the rusting metal train track. 

“Akira… When my mother was painting Sayuri, what do you think she was thinking of?” 

“Where’s this coming from?”

“It’s relevant, I promise.” Joker stops, his hand on his chin as he considers his answer. 

“The pain of separation.” 

“Ah yes, she likely knew of her own impending death…” Fox responds sadly. What he wouldn’t do to have his mother again, ask her all about Sayuri and her own drive for art. “It’s as if she wanted to send a final message to anyone who saw the painting. That’s why it has such a profound impact on anyone who sees it…” 

“Yusuke,” Joker places a hand on his shoulder. “Get out of your own head, before you start saying you’re never gonna make something like. You’re not your mom. Either way, I saw both paintings. They both can have a big impact on the right people.” 

“I see…” Fox is taken aback by Joker’s kind words. “You’re right. Truthfully I want to have the same impact as Sayuri did one day, even if this painting isn’t it.” 

“I think you’re on track, don’t stress about it too hard. Your art is solid, both pieces actually.” Yes, he’d sent Joker the photos earlier, but still yearned for his input. While he hadn’t mentioned anything directly about painting Futaba’s bedroom, he had a feeling it was going to come up. 

“Thank you, I truly believe it’ll show my desires effectively.” Fox beams, but Joker just smirks. 

“Is that why you drew Futaba, you desire her?” Before Fox can get a chance to say anything, 

Yusuke groans, “Is it that obvious?”

Joker laughs, “I was kidding, but honestly, it’s pretty obvious that you’re pining for her. At least to me and Haru. But in terms of both Futaba and the director, I think you’ll be fine.”

Fox was grateful; Joker’s laid-back nature made it clear that he was alright with the idea of him having feelings for Futaba. Although, that did leave him confused on who else already know. Did Sojiro know he wanted to pursue his daughter? Did Futaba know but was pretending not to for his sake? So many questions still on his mind. 

“Wait does Futaba -

“Wait, we should go.” Joker says suddenly. “I’m sensing some shadows, and I don’t wanna fight any with just the two of us here.”

The two leave Mementos, leaving Yusuke continuing to wonder about his own art and Futaba’s impact in it despite the few months they’ve known each other. Never did he imagine he’d think about her in this detail, tossing and turning some nights over the art of it. Sketch pads filled with different expressions she had anytime she was passionate over something, things he wanted to commit to memory. Things he didn’t feel comfortable showing her, maybe ever.

Unless things worked out.

\--

 **21 November**  
Futaba: Are you at LeBlanc yet?  
Yusuke: I haven’t left my dorm yet. I was told Akira is returning this evening?   
Futaba: I have newssss Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ  
Yusuke: Is this regarding Kana?   
Futaba: YES! That’s why you gotta come to my room, ASAP Inari  
Yusuke: I’ll leave shortly. 

The past few days were certainly overwhelming. From dealing with Sae’s treasure to Akira faking his death on live television, there was little time to do anything besides try and remain calm. He went through classes nervous as the others were, worrying over Akechi’s actions in the palace. There was also the revelation of Makoto and Ryuji’s initial visit to Sae’s palace. While it was a huge shock to all of them, he admitted that he had over reacted at first. He had apologized to both of them separately already, and talking among the others definitely made it easier to digest. 

Futaba had surprisingly leaned on him more over the past few days. They had already texted everyday, but it seemed as though she was looking for more conversation from him than ever before. Although, this was the first time since she started doing so that she explicitly asked to see him. He didn’t even get a chance to knock on her door before she was already opening the front door and dragging him by his jacket sleeve inside. Closing the door with his feet, he’s taken into her bedroom. When she let’s go, she plops onto the chair and spins around excitedly. 

“I emailed Kana-chan, and she replied!” Futaba happily starts, with Yusuke moving to sit on his usual corner. “We talked on the phone about elementary school.”

“That’s incredible. What did she say about your previous falling out?” Yusuke asks, taking off his jacket, which was already mostly off thanks to Futaba’s pull. For someone so small, she really had a strong pull…

“She said she only got mad because she was embarrassed. She thought I’d hate her if I knew, so she ran away. I guess we’re kinda the same like that. Anyway, we made up! I apologized for what happened back then with her diary.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Yusuke smiles. That was yet another thing on her list. Well, not her original list he had helped her with but a last minute addition that she needed. “Did you stutter at all?”

“N-no! Shut it Inari!” Futaba rolls her eyes, making him laugh.

“It is a good achievement, honestly.”

“Pretty awesome right? I should’ve put that on in the first place. Anyway, she’s too far to visit now, but we’re gonna keep in touch. We promised each other we’d go back to high school next year.” Futaba uses her feet to wheel herself closer to Yusuke. Not much closer, but enough for him to actually notice a difference. “Y’know Inari, you might piss me off sometimes but I would’ve never called her if you didn’t help me.” 

“You were the one who put in the work. All I did was provide an ear for your troubles.” Yusuke reassures her, finding himself now sitting on the edge of the bed, closing some more of the distance between them. He had sat next to her before, during social outings, Phantom Thieves meetings, but this felt different. He wanted to close the distance but - 

“Yeah I guess you’re right. Although it’s kinda embarrassing hearing that from you. Oh! Kana was also happy that the Phantom Thieves actually listened to her request. But she’ll never know right, haha!” She brought her hands together to mimic a villain as she laughed about the truth of her own status as a Phantom Thief. Not quite the response he was expecting after her earlier statement, but still good. The confidence seems to fade, her head kind of lower than normal, as though she were a wounded animal. 

“No, I’m sure she won’t ever find out our status. Although are you alright? You seem uncomfortable.”

“Um… This is really important so I’m just gonna say it. Well, two things. First, thanks. A lot, I mean it. And second, well… mom used to pat me on the head whenever she was happy with me. Could you uh.. Well.. canyoupatmeonthehead?” 

Yusuke bolts up, already up to the task of it. An opportunity to pat her on the head was surely a once in a lifetime opportunity. He lifts his hand up and gently pats her. Her hair is softer than he anticipates, and before he can properly access the situation, her chair moves back and Futaba jolts up herself. It follows the sound of the back of her chair hitting the metal edge of her desk. Did he pat the wrong way? Was there a right way to pat someone’s head and he was simply unaware?

“Whoa! T-that was totally different than how my mom used to do it!” Futaba exclaims, a pink shade appearing on her upper cheeks. “M-my heart…! Mm-my face!” She reaches up to touch her own cheeks. “It feels like it’s all on fire!”

“Are you-”

“C-calm down, Futaba…” Why was she having such a strange outburst? Did he press something on her head that triggered the reaction? Surely he was careful when he touched her, unless she knew his true intentions? Was she a mind reader? It wouldn’t be that far off considering her persona... As he thinks, she takes several deep breaths. “M-maybe we should go see the others.” 

Right, Akira. He’d nearly forgotten about why he was even near LeBlanc in the first place. Ah well, he’d have to ask Haru about the outburst, surely she understood how girl’s heads worked, and if there was truly something on their heads that caused a reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Next chapter will come out in two weeks, and that should put this story in a good enough spot to have the final chapter come out the week after. Thanks for your patience :)


	9. Rank 9

**1 December**

Yusuke: Will you be arriving shortly?   
Haru: Yes! My car is around the corner, I should be there in five minutes including my walking time to your dorm.   
Yusuke: Wonderful, these thoughts are weighing quite heavily and it would certainly be nice to have your opinion.   
Haru: Were the materials I provided helpful?  
Yusuke: I’ll explain when you enter my dorm. 

Yusuke passed his room back and forth. He hadn’t slept well in days, but it seemed like a worthwhile endeavor. At the very least, he could get a better idea of what to do. He was at a loss, totally confused on the next steps without guidance from one of his friends. Haru had good advice before, and he had no doubt her advice was indispensable. A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door. Walking over, he lets Haru in. She’s able to get a whiff of the permanent paint smell that never seemed to leave his room. He didn’t work on major projects in his room, but more so his own personal passion projects. As a result, the painting of Futaba had moved into the room. 

“Wow, your dorm room is how I imagined it!” Haru notes, clutching onto her shoulder bag. “Can I sit on the chair? I didn’t realize how far the train was from the school.” 

Yusuke pulls out his desk chair, which she eagerly takes. He goes over to the painting, covered by a tarp for the time being. His hand moves up and down the burlap feeling as he gently pulls it off, showing Haru the finished product. He moves to the side so she can see it in its full glory.

“The reason I wanted to come was because I need your advice on this painting.” Yusuke says, gesturing to the painting. Haru’s mouth is slightly open, a bright look in her eyes. 

“Oh it’s beautiful! Is it for Futaba-chan?” 

“That’s unfortunately my current issue. Is it grand enough for her? Will this be enough to prove my love to her? Ryuji suggested I use art, and while I’d love to, I’m still worried about her reaction.” 

Haru clasps her hands together, a small squeal coming out of her throat. “Yusuke, it's perfect! I agree, you have to give to her. I’m so happy you’re finally going to confess!” 

Her enthusiasm reminded him of Ann. It was a foreign tone to him from her of all people, but he assumed she had more weight on the potential of their relationship than he ever expected, considering she was the one who found out first. Although, he still wanted to run the idea by Akira and Boss. While it sounded like he potentially had Akira’s blessing, he still needed to talk to Boss. Even more so… what if he was rejected? Right, he had nearly forgotten the main reason he had invited Haru over in first place. 

“That reminds me, Futaba had some strange behavior a week or so ago. I pat her on the head, and she suddenly had an outburst. She had asked me to do so because she did a momentous task and her mother used to do the same thing, but I did something different. Is there a specific way to pat someone’s head?” 

Haru sighs, lightly pressing her fingers to her forehead and closing her eyes. When she removes her hand, she giggles softly. “Yusuke, consider it.” 

“What is ‘it’ in this scenario? Does it refer to the pat itself?” He guesses. A pat was just a pat; there couldn't have been anything significant in a simple touch to her head. “Unless I hit a sore spot on her head, I could see that possibility.” 

“Okay you’re not thinking enough.” She removes her bag from her shoulders, resting it on the chair as she gets up. She grabs him by the shoulder, and looks him directly in the eyes. “Consider all the films I had you watch. How important was touching in all of them?” 

“Well, it typically meant something romantic.” He shrugs. “None of those were pats on the head.” 

Haru groans, shaking him a little this time. “Why would the girl or boy react whenever their love interest touched them?” 

All the films were bizarre, and the Western ones weren’t any better, although he chalked that up to poor translations from English to Japanese. Whenever there was a subtle touch of a part of the body, and they loved each other, there was always some reaction. It was normally a positive, although in the more tsundere films they could get aggressive. However that aggression was typically short lived. They would stutter sometimes, reconsider their stances. He had to stop pretending it wasn't all in front of him. If Futaba clearly had a reaction, and had some stammer….

Yusuke gasps, “Is she… does she love me back?” 

Haru raises her arms up, a full smile on her face and hugs him tightly for a moment before letting go. “Yes Yusuke! If he keeps wanting to spend time with you, and has such a rash reaction, she clearly loves you!” 

She smiles as if… did she know the whole time? He crosses his arms. 

“Did you know? Did she approach you about this already?” He questions. Haru brings her fingers to her lips, mimicking as if she’s shutting it with a zipper. 

“My lips are sealed. However, I truly do believe giving this painting to her and expressing your feelings soon would be a great idea.” Haru says. She takes a moment, her eyes looking at the different details of the painting. “What was this for originally?” 

“I was inspired by a moment in her bedroom, a time we shared together. I sketched it, and decided to enter it into a competition, along with another painting I was working on. This painting won, surprisingly. While I had the opportunity to showcase in different venues across Tokyo, I declined the offer.” 

“Why’s that?” Haru asks. Yusuke didn’t have an answer that didn’t connect back to Futaba. Whether it was respecting her privacy (it was bad enough he had displayed it in the competition already) or wanting her to have it, he knew Futaba deserved to have the painting that fueled his love towards her even more. 

“Love, I suppose.”

\--

**3 December**

Yusuke: Is Boss at LeBlanc?  
Akira: Yes.  
Yusuke: Are you at LeBlanc?  
Akira: Also yes. Where is this going?  
Yusuke: Is Futaba at LeBlanc?  
Akira: HOO BOY IT’S HAPPENING   
Yusuke: I don’t know what you’re implying.   
Akira: I’ll kick her out, give me five minutes. How close are you?  
Yusuke: I just stepped off the train, a short walk from your house.   
Akira: I’ll make it quicker, I’ll make sure Sojiro stays.

Yusuke puts his phone away, gripping onto the large canvas a little harder as he goes down the small side streets near LeBlanc. After considering the idea for a few days, today was finally the day he had the courage to take action, to finally tell Futaba how he felt. However, he figured he may as well get two things, or rather people, out of his head. 

In the distance as he gets closer to LeBlanc, he sees the back of her head walking towards her home. His heart skips a beat, jumping up to this throat. Could he really do this? All of the fears come rushing back in, but are interrupted by a pull at his arm and a slight throw into LeBlanc. 

“What was the meaning of - oh.” Yusuke starts, before seeing Sojiro standing behind the counter. Behind him, Akira locks the door to LeBlanc and shuts the blinds. Sojiro looked confused at Akira’s actions, before looking down at the large canvas in Yusuke’s arms. It was protected by a large black bag Yusuke would use for his art at times, but it was clear that Sojiro was utterly clueless.

“So you throw Futaba out but let in the art kid?” Sojiro scratches his head. He stops mid-scratch, his eyes widening as his eyes dart to Yusuke’s face, and back to the bag. Yusuke can see the facial expression change. “First year at Kosei huh…”

“Say something.” Akira whispers to Yusuke. Yusuke slowly sets the painting down on one of the empty tables, trying to find the best words without angering Sojiro. He wasn’t sure if it would anger him, but surely the scowl on his face said otherwise. 

“I may have lied about the first year at Kosei. I don’t speak to any first year students at Kosei.” Yusuke gets out, a few words at time. 

“That’s what you got from that?” Akira whispers back. 

“Akira, why don’t you go check on Futaba? After all you already know why he’s here right?” Sojiro looks at Yusuke the entire time. 

“Sure, boss.” Akira complies. Yusuke looks over at Akira, who had his own shocked face. Whatever was going through Akira’s mind was beyond him, especially since he left in a hurry and locked the door again as he left, flipping the sign to ‘closed’. His footsteps were fast, running in the general direction to the Sakura household. 

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Yusuke rushes over, bumping his ankle against the leg of the stool. He holds back the yelp he would’ve let out otherwise. At this point, he’d be willing to do anything to get on Sojiro’s good side. But knowing him, Yusuke knew he’d need a little more courage. After all, it wasn’t as if he had hurt Futaba, or meant any malice towards his family.

“So… this girl I spoke of before is Futaba.” Yusuke finally confesses, his eyes downcast. “I have feelings for her, and have brought a painting in hopes of winning her over. But first I wanted to ask you for your blessing, Boss.” 

Sojiro is quiet for a moment, before he breaks out into laughter. Yusuke looks up at Sojiro, who already seemed to be in a much better mood from earlier. He walks away from him, going towards the kitchen. He pours a cup of coffee, and throws some curry onto a plate. Both are set in front of Yusuke, who finally looks up from the counter. The actions left him utterly confused. 

“I don’t understand.” Yusuke says with a furrowed brow. It’s completely quiet, aside from the muffled talking outside. 

“Look kid,” Sojiro’s voice is soft and caring. “I had a feeling when you asked about Futaba’s glasses that you lied about the Kosei girl. So I started paying more attention to both of you. I can’t say I’m surprised.” 

“So why the anger and throwing Akira out?” 

Sojiro laughs. “I love that kid, but he can be way too involved in his friends’ lives. I also wanted to talk to you alone. Especially if you are gonna go after Futaba like that.” 

“And the food?” 

“You’re always hungry, aren’t you?” Sojiro reminds him. Yusuke had been avoiding eating, not only because he couldn’t afford it today, but because of his nerves. “I get a feeling I’m gonna be feeding you a whole lot more often.” 

For the first time that day, Yusuke feels hopeful. “So I have your blessing?” 

Sojiro nods. “Yeah, you got a good head on your shoulders. And I’m pretty sure Futaba feels the same. So as long as you don’t hurt her or Akira, we’re gonna be just fine.” 

“Thanks, Boss.” 

“When it works out, you can call me Sojiro. Now eat up, you’re gonna need the energy.” Yusuke takes a bite out of the curry, the food sitting well in his stomach. If everyone around him seemed to be hopeful, he had no reason to be so worried anymore. He could go in confidently, show her the painting, and finally say the words that have been sitting in his heart for the past few months. 

After fifteen minutes, Sojiro reopens the blinds and Yusuke unlocks the door. Peering outside, Yusuke sees Akira standing at the corner of the street, right next to the Sakura residence. Every step feels heavier than the last, the nerves replaying into his mind over and over again. By the time he reaches Akira, he feels like he’s dragging bricks on his ankles. 

“So did he chew you out?” Akira asks. 

“On the contrary, he happily gave me his blessing. As a result, I shall now speak to Futaba.” He pulls the words out of himself, waving Akira off before he can get a response back. His feet drag along the concrete, but he keeps his head held high the whole time. He reaches up to knock the door, the words on the tip of his tongue. Right before he knocks, the door flies open, and instead he knocks against Futaba’s forehead. 

“Jeez Inari!” Futaba’s hands fly up to her forehead, lightly rubbing the spot and squinting her eyes. Yusuke drops the black bag, immediately placing his hands on her shoulders and trying to get a good look at her head. When her eyes flutter open again, he realizes just how close they are. She blushes, “Uh, um, I- wh-what brings you here?” 

Realizing his hands were still on her shoulders, he slowly pulls back, picking up the painting again. “Do you have a moment?” Her eyes drift to the bag in a similar manner to Sojiro’s earlier motion. Her blush deepens. Every second she doesn't answer adds a bead of sweat to his forehead. 

“Come on in,” Futaba moves to the side. Yusuke’s more careful this time with the painting, carrying it closer to his body. She leads the way to her bedroom. He’s holding his breath the entire time. Did she have the heat blasting? Why was he so warm? It was strange to think how confident he was mere moments ago, and now he was absolutely terrified. The last thing he wanted was to lose her as a friend. 

He sits on her bed, she goes to the chair. 

“I have something for you.” Yusuke starts to pull the painting out of the bag. 

“W-wait!” Futaba stutters, putting her hands out to stop him. “I-I need to s-say something first! And I’m not gonna be able to get it out unless I say something now!” 

“By all means, go first.” He stares at her in awe, slowly placing the painting back inside. He clasps it shut again, moving it to the side to give her his full attention. She was picking at the skin of her nails, her knees brought up to her chest. Anytime he tried to make eye contact, she looked away. Until suddenly, her feet hit the ground, and she straightens up.

“Can we skip the last promise on my list?” She blurts out. It takes him a moment to process it. Right, the fifth item: Being okay without him around….

“Is everything okay?” He asks simply. She groans, throwing her head back for a moment before continuing. 

“My heart’s beating real fast whenever you’re around, and when we’re apart I can’t stop thinking about you. And trust me, I’ve tried!” Futaba sighs. “I just… can’t be okay without you around. I need you around. You’re just so nice to me, and… I’m sorry, this is stupid.” 

Was this a confession? She… felt the same. She loved him as well. He feels a warmth in his chest, the idea of a relationship was within his reach, but she clearly didn’t feel comfortable sharing. Did she assume he didn’t like her that way? 

“Futaba….” He says, already reaching back for the painting. “I have to show you this.” 

“What?” He pulls out the painting, showing her result. It’s bulky in his arms, but he’s able to make do. He peeks above it, seeing her face. She looked shocked, as if she couldn’t believe what she was looking at. “It’s beautiful, Yusuke. But… why did you paint this?” 

He had to choose his words carefully.

“It’s because I love you.” He finally admits to her. 

“L-l-l-love?” She stands up, finally looking at him directly in the face. He places the painting to the side, careful to ensure it wouldn’t be damaged before it was hopefully hung in her household. “M-my heart is gonna burst out of my body. Is this love? Wait, does this mean y-you’re.. you’re my boyfriend?” 

Yusuke smiles. “I’d like that very much.” 

Futaba freezes, standing still with a red face. He taps on her shoulder, no movement. He tries to pat her head again, expecting some kind of reaction. No movement again. In a burst of courage, he wraps his arms around her waist, big brown eyes staring back at him blankly. He leans down and kisses her. Seconds later, he feels shaking hands on his back, and her kissing back. It’s confusing, and awkward, and everything felt just right. 

When they finally pull back, both breathless, she giggles. “Hehe, you’re blushing.” 

Yusuke laughs, “You’re one to talk,” He caresses her face, enjoying the warmth on his finger tips. “But I’m ecstatic the feelings are mutual.” 

“Yeah, honestly I was just gonna let it die because I thought you didn’t feel the same, but Haru talked me out of it.” 

“Hm, Haru helped me sort out my feelings as well. Looks like we both owe her a great deal.” 

“Y-yeah.” Futaba gives a small smile. It’s enough to keep his heart flipping over and over again. “Y-you got plans after this?” 

He shakes his head. “No, why?” 

“Let’s just stay like this for a little.” She clings onto him, her head against his chest. He pats her head with one hand, the other still around her waist. “I-is that okay?”

“It’s perfectly okay.”


	10. Rank 10

**7 December**  
[new chat started by Haru Okumura]

Haru: I’m so excited for you two!   
Futaba: HARU （。＞ω＜）。  
Yusuke: Truly we are in your debt.   
Haru: It was nothing :) I’m happy to see you two finally working through your feelings. It was adorable watching in the palace.   
Futaba: What do you mean (・_・ヾ  
Haru: When you went in to speak with the IT president, Yusuke was watching nervously from afar the entire time.   
Futaba: Aw Inari are you pining for me (*≧▽≦)  
Yusuke: I only wanted to ensure your protection, we didn’t know if we could trust him or not.   
Haru: Yusuke, you were pining. Anytime he was remotely close to her there was a pain in your face.  
Yusuke: I do not ‘pine’.   
Futaba: THAT’S SO CUTE  
Haru: Futaba you pine as well. In fact, you were both pining for each other in private conversations with me.   
Futaba: No wait don’t bring up that conversation.   
Yusuke: Perhaps we can leave those conversations behind  
Futaba: I only talked to Haru once, how many times did you talk to her, Inari?!  
Haru: I’ll speak to both of you soon! :) 

[Haru has left the chat]

Futaba: So uh, you wanna tell me how many times you pined for me while talking to Haru （´・｀ ）♡  
Yusuke: Let’s not, please. 

\--

 **11 December**  
Futaba: Psssst.   
Yusuke: I am already on my way  
Futaba: (*ﾟﾛﾟ) wow you get a boy to love you and suddenly he understands everything.   
Yusuke: I do believe it is more so the time we spent together prior to this.   
Futaba: TAKE THE COMPLIMENT  
Yusuke: Compliment taken, I’ll be there shortly. First, it is cold and I need hot coffee to warm me up.   
Futaba: I’m gonna finish up something up real quick, see you soon (‘∀’●)♡

The sun was already setting by the time Yusuke stepped off the train, not far from LeBlanc. He had a feeling she was going to message him, and even if she didn’t he would at the very least surprise her with his presence. He was pleased with how things were already progressing. They had only been dating a short period, but it’s lifted a weight off of his shoulders. He no longer had to worry about her reaction, and truthfully, he wasn’t sure why he was so stressed out in the first place. 

First and foremost, he needed a warm cup for his freezing hands. He normally remembered his gloves, but after hastily throwing them to the side when he returned home last, he had forgotten them at the dorm. He pushed the door into LeBlanc, his hands stuffed into his pockets for some kind of warmth. It was empty, aside from Akira drinking his own cup of coffee behind the counter. 

“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. You want a cup?” Akira asks, his thumb pointing the machine. 

“Yes please, thank you very much.” Yusuke slides into one of the booth seats near him, placing his bag on the empty seat to the right. He lightly tapped against the wooden table, looking over at the Sayuri painting. He’d hope after everything that’s happened over the past few months, his mother would approve. Although quite frankly, Akira and Futaba had helped him come to the conclusion that she would be happy with the turn of events of his life. 

“How are you feeling now that you’re dating my sister?” Akira laughs. Yusuke snaps out of it, eyeing the warm cup of coffee now in front of him. He wastes no time wrapping his hands around the cup, feeling the blood already returning to his fingers. 

“Relieved, now that I no longer have to hold back my feelings.” Yusuke smiles. 

“Cool, I’m glad you two could find some kind of happiness with everything going on.” Akira winces. With everything going on with Shido, it was difficult to not sympathize with their leader. They were going to take him down tomorrow, much to everyone’s delight. Surely it was all going to work out in their favor, especially with all the planning that was done. 

The LeBlanc door slams open, the bell wildly ringing. Futaba stood there, a happy but crazed look on her face. 

“INARI!” Futaba giggles, pulling him away. 

“B-but my drink,” Yusuke quietly says, reaching for it. Akira waves goodbye to him, holding back his own laughter. He frees himself from Futaba’s grasp, opting to simply follow her instead of having his sweater ruined by her tugging on it. She leads him back into her room, small giggles coming from her every so often. She promptly sits in her computer chair, waving him to stand behind her.

“Alright Inari, I hope you’re ready your virgin eyes are ready for this.” Her keyboard and mouse click, until a video clip of Mementos appears on screen. It looked to be Ryuji and Makoto in a very provocative position.

“Are they - How did you...” He trails off, now holding back his own laughter. 

“YES! So I was just wrapping up some coding when suddenly I get this weird reading on an early level. I didn’t feel like watching it because of the code, so I listened and thank GOD I had my headphones on because Sojiro would’ve come barging in. I went and checked the video, and this is what I found!” She explains, a mischievous grin on her face. 

Yusuke continued to watch the clip, until the pair stopped their escapade. They looked afraid, snapping back into their original outfits and frantically driving away on Makoto’s persona. 

“What happened after? Why were they so afraid?” Yusuke questions. 

“Oh, the Reaper came, but don’t worry, they got out in time. I wouldn’t be laughing if they didn’t. But now that you’re caught up…” Futaba goes to her phone, the dial tone shortly starting. “Hey, how are you doing?” 

Yusuke tries to hold himself together, but with the smile on his girlfriend’s face, it was hard to. He knew nothing would come out of this other than some light teasing. Futaba taps her phone again, putting it on speaker. There is a bit of static from the otherside, "Hi, I'm well. I'm waiting for my train to take me home." She answers. 

"Is Ryuji still there?" She asks.

"How did you know… um, yes. Would you like me to put it on speaker?" Makoto asks. This time, Yusuke can’t hold himself together, his bolstering laugh coming through. 

"Oh my gosh YES!"

“This is so outrageous,” Yusuke whispers. Futaba presses her finger to her lips, in an attempt to silence him through her smile.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ryuji questions on the phone.

"PUT YOUR RADIOS ON MUTE NEXT TIME!" Futaba cackles on the phone. Yusuke leans over, wrapping part of his arm on Futaba’s shoulder. 

"It seems you also forgot Futaba stashed random cameras around on permanent locations, including Jose's platforms. Might I add that you both have very well-built upper bodies." Yusuke plainly says. At the very least, they may as well get a compliment for their appearances. 

Makoto quickly says, "Pleasedonttellanyonebye,” before hanging up, the phone going quiet. Through her laughter, he watches Futaba go back to the video, dropping the recording into her computer’s trash bin. 

“I’m sure they’ll appreciate you erasing the file.” Yusuke approves. 

“Oh I was never gonna keep it. Even I’m not that crazy, but hopefully this’ll teach them to keep their mics off when they do something like that.” Futaba spins in her chair, and Yusuke moves to sit on the bed near her. There was something spectacular about watching her spin around, the way her hair flowed from side to side, the way she laughed, her crazed movements. She was a little odd at times, but he was just as strange as her, if not more. 

“Have I told you today you’re stunning?” He abruptly says, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. She stops spinning, jumping him on the bed. She lands right next to him and sits on her knees. Her cheeks had a light blush across them. 

“No, shut up.” He gently grabs her cheeks, feeling the heat coming from them. Her blush intensifies. “I mean it!”

“I believe we both know we struggle with not saying our thoughts aloud.” He chuckles. She looks down, trying to hide her own smile. Eventually she finally looks up at him, brightly beaming. 

“You’re so annoying,” She breathes. 

“You find me annoying, and yet here we are.” He pulls her in, kissing her gently. Everything that led up to this moment, with her in his arms, was worth it. After a moment, they pull away. “Are you ever going to not blush when we kiss?” 

“Hey! You’re also blushing!” She points out. He could feel his own cheeks, but unlike her, didn’t feel embarrassed about it. “But… I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anddd we're done! A short but fluffy conclusion to this story. Thanks to everyone who read and commented. It meant a lot to me while writing this :)


End file.
